Training

Locksmith Training Courses

Advanced Training For Trading Locksmiths Only

We Do NOT Do Novice Training – Please read footnote below before taking a beginners course.

All our training is ‘hands on’ with very experienced locksmiths and safe engineers. You need to wear work clothes and enjoy getting stuck in. You will be taking locks apart to ensure that you learn everything possible on the day.

Impressioning

Impressioning for pin cylinder locks, come and learn a proper locksmithing skill that gives great satisfaction.
You probably heard of it but think it is too difficult or time consuming, however, like lock picking you become quick with practice.

Very useful for opening the latest anti-bump ‘trap pin’ cylinders, these relock when turned without the correct key inside. See our lock identification page, making a key is the perfect way to gain entry.

Opening padlocks which are protected inside shrouds or cannot be stripped down. If you can get a key into the lock you can impression it open.

Awkward locations to pick or drill such as locks behind the tracks of roller shutters.

Great for warrant locksmiths.

Contact us for further details.

Commercial APG and Aluminium Doors

Correct servicing procedures to change the concealed transom closer or floor spring. Covers adjustments, pivot styles and hardware/furniture. Basic frame repair work. Lock fitting to aluminium doors with different types of fixing.

Safe working practice, what to do and what not to do.
Add to your service repertoir.

Safe Combination Locks

We do a class on the mechanical three and four wheel locks used on safes.
Covers dialling methods and combination changing, lock identification and the lock classifications for insurance purposes. The main session is for diagnostic techniques used to fault find and gain entry when the customers numbers stop working.
Contact us for further details
Most courses are full day with lunch.
Contact us by email

Footnote

I believe that the trade of locksmith is currently oversaturated with the result that many good locksmiths go out of (or leave) the business. Lots of people are mislead by training schools whose purpose is purely to make money with no regard to the success or failure of their pupils. The proliferation of these high volume training classes, at a time when work levels are falling, has proved detrimental to the industry and to customers. Individuals who are determined to enter the trade should still be encouraged but must be truthfully informed about the expected financial investment required and the return which that may bring. Please understand that many so called expert trainers are actually not very experienced locksmiths and are only doing it because they struggled to make enough money after attending a weekend course themselves.

You are welcome to contact us for advice. We are currently only doing classes by special arrangement or for the MLA and ICL, and only to advance skills of trading locksmiths.

Recession Proof?

Ask yourself why, when a locksmith firm tries to replace a member of staff, they get inundated with applicants and comments like “This is the first locksmith job advert I’ve seen for two years” ?

Many good guys have left the trade in the past three years, too many over the last ten years. It takes passion and natural mechanical ability to succeed and also plenty business awareness and marketing knowledge. Even so, if a relentless succession of new guys pop up and disappear they will take others down with them. Research your area and try to find unique selling points. Not that many people lock themselves out every day, when is the last time you did? or even knew somebody that did?

Even bailiffs are leaving their business, there are lots of debts to collect but if the company goes bust they cannot get any money and so cannot get the commission they need to survive.

Working for nationals

Fortunately we have never had to consider working for the proliferation of agencies which have appeared since the late nineties.
If you are new to your trade (any) then by covering work for these outfits you are making your life harder in the long run, some companies have the stated aim of running a van in every town. They get sub contractors to build up the business and then set up in competition or offer you a franchise for a large fee. Other companies regularly change subcontractors to keep you on your toes and doing the ‘drill out’ over charge system that makes most profit. If you start to work more professionally for the client, they will drop you all together.
You will see their adverts with lists of freephone numbers purporting to refer to offices in every local district around your town, the address is normally very very small or not there at all so you do not realise they are miles away. Often the same format advert with the same numbers is under half a dozen categories of each phone book, they get good deals for this. These are the special ‘contacts’ that many training schools offer to give you on completion of a course.
These companies are nothing but an office manned 24hrs who then phone around local tradesmen to try to cover the work, often the people who take this work are complete novices who are so desperate, they accept that the agency gets 40% 50% or 60% of the price. It is easy to staff an office when you are covering the whole country and many different trades, these companies are providing a service by calling around but they will just find anybody rather than the best value.
If you need a locksmith and have the patience to call around, you will save money. Look for the MLA or ICL logo and if one company cannot get there, ask them for a recommendation. They will know the good firms locally and would rather send you to this ‘competition’ than the nationals. You could save 40-50 or 60%.
There are of course very good, reputable locksmiths who have contracts to cover work nationally. When we serve these contracts we use members of MLA or ICL or those locksmiths who have been recommended to us over the years. When we carry out work on behalf of others it is in their name and to the highest quality. Informal networks and co-operation are beneficial to all locksmiths even those in the same town. So, if you do come into the trade, try to join an association and visit the regional meetings. If you like locks and beer they are fun too!