Is OLCI training any good?

[London79]

Hi all,
I am thinking about doing a plumber course via the OLCI construction training web site that I can do around my current job (City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate (6129) and
City & Guilds NVQ 2 (6089) in Plumbing). I would be interested if anyone have any opinion about this course provider. Also, once I have this qualification does anyone have any advice for my next step?

Thanx in advance.

 

[fuzzy]

theres lots of threads on this

the 6129 and 6089 are due to end on 31st March this year, the quals are out of date

 

[cr0ft]

I would much rather repeatedly stab myself in the eye with a hot poker than book onto any more of their courses. You would struggle to find a company that cared less about you after taking your money.

Just my experience with them. Even the simplest administrative instructions were a constant battle. I had to threaten to take them to court on several occasions to sort problems out. The worst company I've ever done business with.

 

[fagsanbooz]

I would much rather repeatedly stab myself in the eye with a hot poker than book onto any more of their courses. You would struggle to find a company that cared less about you after taking your money.

Just my experience with them. Even the simplest administrative instructions were a constant battle. I had to threaten to take them to court on several occasions to sort problems out. The worst company I've ever done business with.

Not recommending them then cr0ft??

 

[cjuk]

I thought the actual workshops and assessments was ok but the call centre was total rubbish,they havnt a clue what your talking about. If you do decide to do your course with them then ask if its ok to ring direct to the workshop if you have any problems,they said it was fine at the manchester centre. Be prepared to have to wait for dates tho for the workshops and assessments, i had to wait three months once before i could get in,block book your dates up. Id ring em a couple of times aswell,i rang up afew times and got a differant price everytime.

 

[cr0ft]

Damn right I'm not recommending them

I think it's sort of hit and miss on the workshops themselves. I had some good ones (the one I had to go to Birmingham for) but one particularly memorable one was my bathroom installation workshop were the tutor was more interested in surfing t'internet than actually teaching us anything useful.

+1 on the call centre thing. All bar one of my training/assessment courses were done in London centre and so it may not be accurate for the others. My biggest gripe with these providers is they totally devalue the qualification. Everyone passes the practical assessments regardless of how rubbish they are. I saw this with my own eyes on several occasions.

If you want to go self employed then buy some copper pipe benders, pipe, fittings plus blowtorch. Practise fabricating copper pipework and read the Building Regulations plus all of the good sites on the internet. Pocket the £5k (or whatever it is now) to buy your van. You'll learn far more and be richer..

The 6129 isn't worth the paper it's printed on imo and as has been said, it's about to be superseded with a new qualification.

 

[fuzzy]

thats pretty clear croft

 

[London79]

Thanks for all the feed back.

 

[fuzzy]

what you gonna do?

 

[London79]

I will look on the city and guilds website to find other providers and look to book the new course that will be available from April. I have to do home study as I can't afford not to work. If anyone out there has any recommendations to a course provider, any good experiences, I would be grateful for the heads up.

 

[fuzzy]

check out summitskills and ask them, city and guilds are only an awarding body, they dont write quals, sumitskills do that, it is them i would ask

EAL also offer plumb quals

have you checked out the plumb courses threads?

 

[London79]

Yeah, I've been sieving through the posts on courses. I must say this website is very useful. A real find for me.

 

[dkitson]

Hi London79. It's not easy deciding where to go. You should go and check out the centres and see what you think. I trained with OLCI before for my 6129 and NVQ 2, and it worked well for me. Now doing level 3 and gas with them too.

 

[NVivas]

I'm about to finish my course with this lot and the course was great - training was great and centre was good.

Not worried about the change in qualifications because although they're about to change they don't just become worthless over night. Sounds like some people have had some difficulties, but i have found them good and have done loads with them plus I'm going to do the renewables soon.

 

[fuzzy]

wow, 3 posts about this training centre being good, one after another, a total of 10 posts between you, welcome all. i look forward to your input

 

[PlumbBobBob]

suspicious fuzzy?

 

[quality]

OLCI are brilliant

according to this thread

Ps who is OLCI ?

 

[fagsanbooz]

mmmmmmm........................................ now what could be you be inferring???

 

[fuzzy]

simply an observation

 

[bigboy]

damn right i'm not recommending them

i think it's sort of hit and miss on the workshops themselves. I had some good ones (the one i had to go to birmingham for) but one particularly memorable one was my bathroom installation workshop were the tutor was more interested in surfing t'internet than actually teaching us anything useful.

+1 on the call centre thing. All bar one of my training/assessment courses were done in london centre and so it may not be accurate for the others. My biggest gripe with these providers is they totally devalue the qualification. Everyone passes the practical assessments regardless of how rubbish they are. I saw this with my own eyes on several occasions.

If you want to go self employed then buy some copper pipe benders, pipe, fittings plus blowtorch. Practise fabricating copper pipework and read the building regulations plus all of the good sites on the internet. Pocket the £5k (or whatever it is now) to buy your van. You'll learn far more and be richer..

The 6129 isn't worth the paper it's printed on imo and as has been said, it's about to be superseded with a new qualification.

how can the 6129 be useless as its the core basis of the new 6189 - just saying - i know it wont help u get a job but they surely wouldnt include its modules in the new 6189 if it was useless in terms of the theory

 

[fuzzy]

the 6129 modules do not relate exactly to the 6189 as they did the 6089. completly different qual. there is a chance to apl though

 

[bigboy]

sorry dont understand, what do u mean apl, also i was told that the 6129 quals will be taken into account by being given points in the qcf(or something like that) and then put towards the 6189

 

[fuzzy]

apl - accredited prior learning, they do not do not match straight across, the units are not the same. they do allow some of the knowledge to be apl'd, not sure how yet but you wont have to do the stuff again, may have some anomalies

 

[bigboy]

thanks, ive been told that i may have to do some bridging units but no ones sure

 

[cr0ft]

I didn't say the 6129 was useless. You will learn some useful stuff (although nothing at all that you couldn't teach yourself at home with some copper pipe and bending tools). As a certificate it's not worth the paper it's written on as you will be very unlikely to get a job with it. If you're self-employed, well, no one has ever asked me to show my qualifications lets put it that way. The training centres have devalued this qualification by passing everyone who comes through there doors. IMO.