Squelchtone wrote:Lockmasters in Nicholasville, Kentucky, which is just down the street from MBA USA that Gwiens already mentioned. Both great places to learn professional safe work.
http://www.lsieducation.com/*I see they offer classes in Virginia now as well, so that's probably very close to you.
Lockmasters is top notch. I spent a week in Kentucky learning from them.
ALOA and SAVTA conventions are another good option, especially if they are within driving distance. You just missed SAVTA's though for this year and ALOA's is at the end of next month.
Sans that, there is an EXCELLENT book out there that is a primer for safe technicians: Safe Technicians Reference Manual by Mike Oehlert. It covers everything from safe moving/installation to repairs to openings. I had been working on safes for 2-3 years? when I first read it and even I learned plenty. I would recommend that you purchase a copy of this book first and read it. Once you have a grasp on the basics and understand what it is you want to do/offer, you can then determine the best classes to take.
If you have a distributor in your state like Clark or IDN and you are a customer, they'll more than likely offer classes and possibly certifications. A distributor up the road from me offered X10 certification classes multiple times a few years back, for example. Local associations and Chapters.
Of course, there is always networking. If you can make friends with colleagues, you might find a good teacher. I've been slacking lately but I have a mentor who I try to visit at least once a month. He's a good guy/friend and occasionally he will share some info that lets me know how much I don't know. Friends in this industry cannot be topped - remember that.
Good luck.
