Hi all,
I was not implying that the 8 day course at NETT is just a DIY course, simply stating a fact that after 8 days in a training centre you would not be competent enough to apply for the NVQ Level 2 qualification.
It is wrong for Darren to imply that the only extra thing you will do on a longer course is "stick extra tiles on walls", this is not the case at all. We cover every aspect of the trade in detail and all of the modules included in the course are delivered both practically and the theory to ensure students have in depth knowledge on what they are actually doing.
I would agree with Darren that any training environment is simulated, however if you are going to deliver simulated training then the facility has to be set up correctly to reflect a real working situation.
The working areas that we have set up at Diamond are the most realistic environments possible. For instance all bathroom & kitchen areas are built out of solid block and render ( not chipboard or other types of wood ) with fully plastered ceilings fitted with recessed spot lighting and full size doorways, the bathrooms all have fitted suites inc toilet & cistern / basin & pedestal / full size bath. Kitchen ares are equipped with sockets that are built into the walls / fitted full size work tops / full size kitchen units, not battened out areas as an example of where the furniture would be. All of the bays are set up as full rooms with 4 walls, not 3 walls and with 2 windows in each bay. The reason for having 4 walls not 3, is that students have to learn how to make sure that all tiles meet consistently in every corner of the room. Correct me if I am wrong on this but I have never come across a bathroom with 3 walls and no door, I have only seen these set ups in
tile showrooms as demonstrations.
I would also be curious to know how students would learn to prepare uneven walls prior to tiling, if the walls are made out of wood. We teach students how to prepare walls with fast setting renders / bonding plasters and multi finish plaster if necessary to achieve an acceptable surface to apply tiles to. We also use acrylic and SBR primers prior to fixing tiles, all things that you cant do with wooden bays.
When it comes to the more in depth aspects of the trade, such as Tanking Systems / Uncoupling Membranes / Expansion Joints / Natural Stones / Mosaics / Backer Boards etc this is all delivered practically using real materials not tutor discussions and lectures, as I am aware some centres do. The only way you can learn how to use and install these types of materials is to actually install them in realistic situations.
I do not want to get into a public argument with another centre on here, but I have to say that the list of things that Darren is claiming to deliver within 4 days would be physically impossible to deliver in depth / practical and correctly. Our head tiling tutor Sam has been teaching this trade for 8 years now and would struggle to develop a scheme of work that would incorporate all of this in 4 - 8 days.
We are also accredited by EDI and to my knowledge the only Tiling qualification awarded by them is Level 1 Wall Tiling Skills, Unit NAO73, yet it claims on NETTs website
All of our courses are accredited by Aset / EDI at level 2, I would suggest revising this as it is not on EDIs scope of qualifications.
I would also like to point out that the tutors at Diamond have all undertaken relevant teaching qualifications and the company continue to promote and foster a staff development programme and all members of staff undertake regular training updates as and when revised guidelines become available. We employ 2 full time Internal Verifiers, to monitor the delivery of training and qualifications that we have on our centre scope. I would like to find out what gives someone that right to deliver training if they do not hold any qualifications, as I am sure you would expect if you attended a college course that the tutor would be qualified accordingly to deliver training on that trade. For too long now ex trades people have assumed that opening up a training centre and delivering short courses is a quick money making scheme and it is not the case. In order to run a professional facility, you have to have the right tutors / facilities / systems and scope to deliver at a very high level.
I am not taking anything away from NETT or 8 day courses, they are great for their purpose but are not professional level courses and as much as Darren would disagree on this, I have seen by looking at the pictures on NETT website that the set up of the facility ( if they are up to date ) would not allow any tutor to deliver the training correctly.
I hope that this post does not cause any offence, especially to Darren as this is not my intention and although I have used NETT as an example I am only working from what I can see on their site. The reason for this post is to put an end to the assumption that all longer courses are able to deliver are repeat techniques that can be achieved in 8 days.
All the best
