Locksmith Certification

[viking84]

I'm a newbie in the locksmith world and I am having trouble finding information online about becoming certified. I keep coming across sites that do not seem legit and wanted to ask the pros in this forum. Is there such a thing as being certified or is it the same thing as being licensed through your state? Any suggestions on legit education locksmith sites? Thanks!

JC

[bobhdus]

There will be other opinions, but I would say that an institution that you train with will "certify" you in what their course of study is. Point I would make is to really look into the institution that you choose to study under and that it covers the key areas need in locksmithing. There a many schools, most are online correspondence courses. There are also a handful that are "real" schools. I used Foley-Belsaw back in 95, and then www.locksmithvideoschool.com 4 yrs ago. I learned a lot through both of them and each had their own unique style and covered basic and to some degree complicated subjects. Neither were really enough to prepare me to start a business from scratch as they claim. But that is just me. The training is good, but the part of where to go and how to start a business is where I struggled. Others have done it on limited training. Foley-Belsaw is also recognized by ALOA I believe. ALOA also has a list of reputable schools as well as somewhere there is a list on this site as well. SOPL has a nice training program as well. Penn Foster is pretty much the same as Foley-Belsaw in course study. There are many others to pick from. SOPL offers courses that meet most States CEU's requirements for licensing. In Missouri where I am at, there is no state licensing (yet). But I do need to have a license to practice Locksmithing in my local town and they ask for some certification or certificate of completion (same thing) from an established training school at the City Hall. I hope this helps

[Tyler J. Thomas]

ALOA offers certifications as does the ILA, SAVTA, NLA, and NSO. These are industry associations and organizations and they're considered valid by virtually any employer.

Licensing and certification are two entirely different things. The state issues licenses and mandates their requirements. As far as I know, no state requires certification from one of those associations in order to be licensed.

Certifications, in my opinion, are worthless and a waste of time, and money.

[globallockytoo]

Certifications, in my opinion, are worthless and a waste of time, and money.

I completely agree.
Similar to University degrees. They are great on paper, but experience in the field makes you a wanted commodity.

Steve Jobs didnt have a computing degree. Neither did half or more of the CEO's of the top 500 companies listed on NASDAQ.

A university degree used to be a sign of your ability to finish something you started. Where as I still see that today as a good sign, you dont need it to get a job. You need passion, desire and a willingness to learn, IMHO

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Certifications, in my opinion, are worthless and a waste of time, and money.

I completely agree.
Similar to University degrees. They are great on paper, but experience in the field makes you a wanted commodity.

Steve Jobs didnt have a computing degree. Neither did half or more of the CEO's of the top 500 companies listed on NASDAQ.

A university degree used to be a sign of your ability to finish something you started. Where as I still see that today as a good sign, you dont need it to get a job. You need passion, desire and a willingness to learn, IMHO

And you know, I know countless other locksmiths that have had 10, 20, 30, or even 40 years experience but no certifications. I have a few. Does that mean I'm anymore qualified? No. Experience, as you noted, is the ultimate qualifier, and not the desire or ability to pass a handful of tests. Certifications offered currently don't encompass any experience except the ability to remember knowledge that can be quantified on paper. They're not testing if you can pick a lock, properly install a door closer, mortise a pocket for a lock, etc. No, they want to know if you can remember trivial details. And they try to sell the tests as if only experience could prepare you for the questions - what a crock of s!%t.

No one recognizes these certifications but ALOA; it's not even comparable to CompTIA's influence in the IT industry. Roughly 1 out of 20 job postings even mention the issue of certification (and I created that statistic by viewing the top 20 locksmith postings on Monster.com currently). And that 1 posting, the City of St. Louis, accepts experience in lieu of certifications (roughly 3 years is equivalent to the CRL certification, according to them).

I can't believe I actually bought into it when I started locksmithing and actually paid to take a worthless test. It's nothing more than ego stroking and money in ALOA's pocket. When I see ALOA certifications on someone's title or resume, my thought is, "Well, I guess they cared enough to pay and study for a test."

Did I mention I have an ALOA certification? Lol, what a waste.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Has anyone seen The National Locksmith Certification Program?

I may be eating my words with regards to my views on certifications. Big fan of open book, untimed tests. After all, are you restricted to what you know in the field? Going to do a bit more research but I'm already liking what I'm seeing.

[globallockytoo]

Certification from a magazine publication? Big Deal. If and when licensing ever evolves, certification will be a requirement of licensing (or should be). Toothless enforcement of licensing is the prime issue standing in the way of acceptance of licensing programs.

I guess you could say I have certification, although it is the piece of paper I got at the completion of my apprenticeship, that says I successfully completed the core units to be recognized by industry peers as a qualified tradesperson.

But, given that it is from another country, it may be unacceptable here (USA) for recognition by a licensing authority.

Personally, I would not accept certification from a magazine publication if it were included in a job application. The only thing it tells me is that you can read!

[Tyler J. Thomas]

I'm not saying its the most perfect model but it has many elements I support. Depending on the depth of the questions, I may have no qualms in endorsing it.

[rehana1406]

The second level of locksmith certification is certified Professional Locksmith (CPL). A Certified Professional Locksmith has earned the CRL designation and has successfully in an additional twelve elective categories. A CPL has an advanced knowledge of general locksmithing and of many specialized areas.

[GhostCollector]

I think it all depends on who is doing the hiring.
It does seem like all the training courses online are pretty much buy course and we send you the books/dvds and diploma same day..

[GhostCollector]

I'm not saying its the most perfect model but it has many elements I support. Depending on the depth of the questions, I may have no qualms in endorsing it.

I love open book tests!!

[Twisted T]

I'm just curious are you saying that taking these courses are a big waste of time?
I was going to take the Foley-Belsaw course but after reading this I think that I'd rather spend the money on tools and equipment. I've already got the basics down
and I'm sure given enough time I can figure out the advanced stuff as well.

[viking84]

I thought the same thing. As long as I got the basics down and willing to learn more, the future is open!

[2octops]

It would be cheaper to buy some blank certificates at Wal-Mart and print your name on them.

Badda Bing, you're certified.

[tomcat]

Locksmith Certifications are peer driven for the most part. There is a confusion by some who promote their programs are "accredited" and this is not always the case. In order to be accredited it must come from an institution of higher learning. Testing is intended to be used a tool to measure retention and not be used for intimidation or belittling anyone. Results of any testing should be broken down with item analysis capability. This allows for each question to be examined to check if it is understood, is it a bad question, if the information was not explained well, or if this results indicate a need for additional training areas.

The problem with others in the past was that it was a big secret as to the test results and the person being tested had no clue how to improve or what they got wrong. In this case the testing was not beneficial to those taking it. Testing using a modern LMS system online allows for instant results as well as supporting explanations to any answer found to be incorrect. When using this type of testing properly, it ensures the user succeeds and learns from any mistakes.

I have had many locksmiths with 30 years experience or more state they knew all they needed to know and testing was BS. When this is the case they are allowed to challenge a test and if they pass they are awarded the C.E.U.'s associated with it. There is no reason to insult people who have experience. I have however, had the same individuals fail very basic core knowledge. In one case when I asked if the person knew what the EZ Key Blank numbering system was, they responded - What's that?

In another case I had a successful locksmith admit that he never knew the names of the parts of a key and he was embarrassed but grateful for realizing he never took the time to be more professional. Knowing the name of the parts of a key do make or break a locksmith but it certainly is something a 30 year veteran should know since it is what every newbie learns in his first few days of study.

Some people learned their skills on the job and not in structure training environments. So testing is a matter of enrichment and peer review if someone wants to measure their knowledge. It is by no means intended to create elite status.

For the people who are intimidated by testing, there is verbal testing. For those with learning disabilities there is help. For those who do get some wrong answers, they are reviewed with an aide to ensure there are no differences in terminology or to see if they understand the concepts and are not good test takers.

This is what "certifications" and testing is intended to do and it wasn't being done for the locksmith until I deployed the first complete blended learning and proficiency testing program. Now years later it is being emulated with other organizations and even a magazine is trying it based on a proposal I offered.

The use of time in testing is to again to measure retention , not to intimidate anyone. When a locksmith is in the field and under pressure they cannot be rattled by time, the same is true when trying to think. Time tests are also used for security reasons. Training material should also be highlighted to indicate key points to reinforce retention and potential appearance on a test.

Short "Check Your Knowledge" type quizzes should be provided during the preparation of any test to again reinforce the key points so by the time you take a final test or exam you should have good retention without fear of the time clock. Open book testing only confirms that someone knows how to peck and search for information, not retain it. But open book is less pressure and most locksmiths know that knowing how to find information is important, but again testing is about retention so there is a difference in the item analysis of a test and open book review.

Any testing should be a part of a pedagogy where those being tested have input into the questions and participate in the development of them. Doing so provides for a quality program that is acceptable to the peer group.

I have a pretty good Youtube video which shows how the item analysis looks if anyone is interested.