Our Main Focus is in the Locksmith Training Industry

Q, How do's the Guild Focus on Locksmith Training?

We believe all the current issues in the locksmith industry as discussed above and many more could simply be rectified by making sure each locksmith is DPA cleared before training, they undertake the appropriate amount of time for training so they have a better understanding of the job and how to do the job the right way which would save the public money.

For example: Many rouge locksmiths will drill a lock and destroy it when they could simply gain entry without a destructive means. However this takes time to master and learn. There is no reason for anyone to drill a lock. It just shows that they have a lack of skill due to a lack of time under training. However, in some very rare circumstances drilling may need to happen so its still a skill that needs to be taught but used in a responsible way. For example, if a rouge locksmith attends a job or even a locksmith with only 5 days of training attends a job where they can't pick the lock, they will drill the lock. In some cases, the locksmith will pretend not be able to pick the lock as the locksmith will only earn a labour fee. If that locksmith can drill the lock, they then make more money! Its a bad business practice or unethical business practice either due to poor morals or lack of education on how to deal with the issues at hand.

We strive for change in the locksmith training industry.

This is why we created a program and award known as the LTTA certification. You can learn more about the LTTA here.

The LTTA Citified Locksmith Trainer or providers are fully trained in course delivery as they have undertaken  a PTLLS in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector or the new AET level 3 Award in Education and Training.

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This nationally recognized qualification carries 12 QCF credits which is the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and demonstrates our competence and readiness to work as a teacher, trainer, or tutor in various educational settings such as locksmith training and further education. 

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The LTTA instructor has to come from a higher pedigree of skill, they must have a minimum of ten years of ethical proven successful business practice and have run that business with financial success which shows a track record of skills in business and they have not failed in the business so they turned to locksmith training. We see a vast amount of poorly trained locksmiths who fail in the business, so they go onto sell their skill sets, all be it poor skill sets on places like Facebook market place, eBay and pay per click advertising on search engines. The problem with this is that is creates further poor locksmiths who go one to do the same. That's why all LTTA accredited locksmiths have to have a proven track record of success in the industry. It means in that decade of work they have ten years of real-world locksmith experience, the hours served as a locksmith to be able to offer such skills later as a trainer as the business was a success which means they had a high number of paying jobs and happy clients, contracts and so on.

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Training - We believe that no locksmith training provider in the UK except for the training programs we recommend offer the correct form of locksmith training. We recognise that some will require DBS checks, and some have become part of awarding bodies likes of NCFE or City and Guilds. This helps legitimise there training but the training with or without an award is still the same poor training format. That's why the training we champion must meet the Guilds criteria on training.

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Training Criteria: 

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We have a strict training criteria which we do not share to prevent replication by fraudulent locksmiths who offer training. We can tell you that its often about the length of the course, foundation of the course, the stages of the course and the environment that the course takes place. It is also about training qualifications to be able to actually teach the public in the key subjects and the delivery of the course with hardly any of the current courses in the UK meeting an educational framework in further learning.

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Security Criteria:

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Each student must undergo a Date Barring Service Check. We will not train any locksmith with a criminal record. We also require each instructor to be fully vetted by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV), which is part of the Cabinet Office Government Security Group and the Government Security Function. Before they can teach locksmithing. 

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Business and Ethics - In the UK locksmith industry there are no current laws that govern who can be trained to become a locksmith. The UK government last looked at this process over 20 years ago and this could be about to change.

However, at the moment it's down to the industry to make sure we as a collective only train trusted people.

We do believe that locksmith training providers often unknowingly train unscrupulous traders or rouge traders or in some cases genuine traders who do not make enough money due to the lack of business training and result to crime and overcharging customers as they only see a handful of clients and turn to PPC Pay Per Click advertising to help find work. With such high costs of PPC and having the advantage to appear at the top of search results on search engines allows the public to fall victim to rouge traders.

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(BMTA) Business Management Training & Accreditation

This is why we make sure each of our training providers also deliver the business management training known as the BMTA which is an accreditation earned for the completion of a Guild specified business training course for locksmiths in the UK.

They follow a strict training protocol which puts the new locksmith through a series of courses and exams on consumer law to data protection, health and safety and so much more. This is done in stages and will allow the training provider to create a high calibre of locksmith who less likely to fail in the business and result to having to pay for costly and competitive advertising which result in high prices, call out fees and hidden charges.

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Business Criteria:

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The new locksmith must undergo 15 weeks of business management training. We will not disclose the full list of what the locksmith is trained into to prevent replication. But they must work with a business development manager whose job is to make sure the new locksmith enrols on each course and passes each course. These courses are in security to law, financial training in accounting to running their own online business, managing websites, invoicing, stock management and so on. To be able to launch and operate a business each locksmith must have full public liability. They will require all of their locksmith qualifications to be passed to a level 3 award which takes 36 weeks of training under a master locksmith and LTTTA certified instructor.  They will have passed a DBS check with the Data and Barring Services, and they can opt to undertake the 3rd degree in security clearance by being vetted by the United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV), which is part of the Cabinet Office Government Security Group and the Government Security Function. They must be registered with companies' house to having the correct banking all the way through to the legal aspects of terms and conditions, terms of service and everything in place to protect the public and the locksmith.

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