To keep it simple I think you'll find most training boils down to the reputation of the instructor and the get up and go of the trainee. You can teach a Cart horse to run faster but you'll never beat a Race horse scenario.
In a previous life I had to teach subjects that I had only a few days to brush up on and some of my students thought I had been doing it for years. Locksmith training is the same. The guy standing in front of you can exude confidence and baffle you in the areas he has brushed up on but he may not have a clue about the big bad locksmith world.
With the MLA they have put the years in and have a good understanding of what is required outside the training school. Sure some of the subjects they teach you may never need or even use but it gives you a grounding to build from.
Other training schools just go straight in for the kill with the "You can earn £500 - £1000 per week, work your own hours, have to drive up to 15 miles to a job but this will reduce over time cr@@.
You've got to figure out what you want from the training. The MLA are one of the most established and respected associations but like others the old money making poison is creeping in.
As Martin has highlighted pick a course that will show you how to make a living if it is a career move you want. If you are doing it for enjoyment and don't really need the money it would be best to find another career, as sadly some people need to make a living from locksmithing and in todays market there are as many part timers doing the work as full timers that there is not enough money to go around.
As far as approved ICL training is concerned just because it is approved doen't mean it's the best, just it is of a decent standard. With the juggling around of the committee and recent ongoing discussions the ICL will be pulling away from any novice training and concentrating on trading locksmiths. Any training done outside of this by ICL members will be off their own backs and reputation. The ICL will not support it.
There is too much hearsay and competition within the industry that sadly it is hard to know who to listen to and if the recent MLA show is anything to go by even the suppliers are getting in on the act. Putting competitors down rather than use the energy to make themselves better.
