do you think that some training centres should be more honest

[diamondtiling]

Danny,
I think you have made a lot of valid points especially regarding accredited training companies. There are though other companies that do fill potential students ears with stories of the roads being paved with gold. I know two tilers that work in my area, both have been on a course at a company that virtually guaranteed them none stop work. They both paid out over £3000 and that included some basic tools.
One decided that he would undertake a wetroom installation, the end result of that was him getting into a complete mess and asking me to help him out.
When I questioned his ability to undertake such a big job his reply was that he had been shown how to tank and lay natural stone, clearly he needed more training in my view. The other installed a bathroom floor where the grout cracked in a lot of places and the shop had to rectify it for them.
They both have the name of the training school on their vans and time and time again I hear about simple mistakes that they make. Now these could be just two lads who are never going to get it right so maybe its time for them to go back to office work and running a pub.
I have looked at your website and read what some people have put regarding your course's, you clearly have the training at the front line and do your utmost to teach pupils and to follow up with any questions they may have. Training schools are not a particular worry to me, I think they have a meaningful and needed place for the construction industry. My gripe and its a small one is listening to the two I have had contact with insisting that they could tile the Taj Mahal if need be. (they are a bit late for that because Paul Riley claims that he did it).
Even when they finish the course if they apply themselves in a professional manner by advertising, pricing and generally being an all round good person the work is simply not there at the present moment in time, so some, not all, take on work at reduced rates to get themselves working in order to generate money that they need. I would never stop anyone from supporting their families, thats what we all do, but sometimes would it not be better for a newly trained tiler to work with a tiler with lots of experience?
I think that students might even pay a bit more to get their teeth into a real job where they will experience all the things that can and do go wrong. Is it not possible for training schools to link up with established companies/sole traders etc and to have them work together for say 2 weeks? I am sure that a lot of people would agree to take on someone for a short period of time that needed that little bit of real on the job experience.
Not all students or potential tilers are going to make it, that is a fact. Some training schools will still take their money instead of telling them the blunt truth and that has to be wrong.
As I made sure from the beginning of this post, you clearly run your establishment on the right tracks, there are other training schools that sponsor this site and I am positive that they are on the same lines as you, the feedback speaks for itself, its a shame that others do not.

 

[Aston]

to be fair, its also worth mentioning that its not just 'alleged tiling training center's'
that are guilty of exagerating....

the building game has been and always will be full of people who claim they are the d's b's

if were all honest, how many tradesman have we come across over the years who claim.....

they can lay 100 meters in a day
or they get £100 a meter for stone as opposed to you £95 lol
or they reckon they are the gordon ramsey of the tile world but there a rough as a bears *** even after 25 years in the job.

tiling is not for everyone
business is not for everyone
office work is not for everyone

you do the best with what you've got and you concentrate on what youre doing and leave everyone else to worry about you, not the other way around....as dom says danny, you and the other centers on here on the better ones so i wouldnt even blink at this thread but if your one of the bad ones, then you are responsible for bringing this area of training into disripute!!

ed

 

[White Room]

It's funny that I've done courses over a large number of years and it's only recently that there's the mention of how much you can earn.

You do a course, no matter what it is, then it's down to you because your've seen an opening in the market.

You pays yer money and takes yer choice, real life is not a training centre.

 

[Colour Republic]

There is a certain irony to this thread. i.e. the minority giving the rest a bad name.

I've mentioned in another thread, I don't know if this site gives a general view of the industry? By that I mean just think how many bathrooms/kitchens are tiled everyday and I’m sure that a hell of a lot go without any hitch and leave some very happy customers but this site gets quite a few posts from customers who have had the tiling job from hell, but where else would you post your concerns and look for advice? It also attracts a lot of tilers straight out of training centres but again where else would you find such friendly members willing to give advice?

As for training centres turning out good or bad tilers if the industry has room for them or not. As I said in my very first post in this thread I think the government has a lot to answer for, it's them that set the figures for x amount of houses to be built each years and then in the same breath say 'we have a shortage of tradesmen to build them' even when the housing market was booming the number of houses being built was not meeting targets and I don't think there was any shortages in tradesmen. It had to be expected that some unscrupulous characters would set up training schools under the thin premise of it being government backed because of this so called shortage

 

[heavytrevy]

I think all these training centres should only be allowed to train apprentices.
Even the most comprehensive course is a joke.
How about I post up the modules an apprentice in Aus has to complete?, what about the 4 years of on the job training earing a pittance .?
Where im from if you dont have a trade licence you are restricted to earning up to $1100 per job and you must advertise the fact. if not ur fined by our regulatory body ...simple.
Also you must be trade qualified to tank as well , no licence and you cant issue a waterproofing cert , which is required by the building inspector/council or insurance company.
In gaining a trade licence you must know all of the regulations that apply to ur trade and business managment on top of that.
Danny , can you post or link to the modules ur training centre covers?
Regards
Trev

 

[Deleted member 1779]

We attend a lot of tile training centres mainly to do demos to students.

Have to say most seem to deliver a good basic skill set (bit like learning to drive a car) and then once out in the field its experience next which cant be taught.

Its getting tough out there which we have noticed that by way of late and delayed payments for stock. So we've had to drop the minimum orders of ten sets down to five sets at a time to help. Its almost a pay as you go type of arrangement with at least four of the eight centres we service. But I dont mind because if its tight for them then I want them to survive the recession and come out stronger. For us the goal is long term. And meeting new tilers at the start of their career is the best way.

As for ethics of trading I dont comment but I think there are centres that are better at some things. As for selling the tiling dream... Well we have a new sponsor onsite for Australia! Maybe I will up-sticks and set up in the sunshine :8:

 

[Dan]

I'm just bumping some of the tiling course & tiling training related threads. Ignore them if they're not current threads for you. They will drop back off the list in a week or so, and I don't do this much.