66 • training
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A UPVC Specialist repair
training course with a difference
»»Training is a buzz word in the
locksmith industry and one of the biggest
demands currently is for training in the
UPVC Double glazing repair sector – not
surprisingly, considering the domination
of UPVC windows and doors across the
UK’s residential and commercial buildings
sector since the mid 1960s.
Eclectic Security Ltd has recognised
this in its new training schedule, which
started in March at the company’s new,
dedicated training centre in Ollerton,
Nottinghamshire. Eclectic Director and
experienced locksmith, Brian McAleer
explained why he and fellow director
Quin Lenagan, both with military and
security backgrounds, chose to start their
new training courses with that particular
specialisation.
“There is a HUGE demand for UPVC
repair work and in our experience it goes
hand in hand with locksmith work sharing
a lot of the same terminology and with
much of the door repair work directly
crossing over from locksmithing to UPVC
specialist repair so it is important that
locksmiths have the right training to fill
that need in a professional manner. All
kinds of people may claim expertise in
the field but many of them have little or
no training or are simply not up to the
job. “Before launching our own training
facility, we did a lot of research – both into
what existing training offered and what
we believed locksmiths actually required.
We found that, while there are some good
training available out there, inevitably,
there is some that offers little of real value,
overcharges and skirts around important
issues such as CRB/DBS checks, and very
few companies if any can offer the same
sort of in depth training and 24 hour back
up that is now provided by Eclectic ” Brian
said.
“We set out with the aim of attracting
genuine people who either want to
start a career in locksmithing/home
maintenance company or to progress
their business by acquiring the right
knowledge and guidance. When it comes
to someone launching into the business
for the first time, there can be a distinct
advantage in offering a specialist UPVC
repair service running alongside their
locksmithing service and rather than
trying to cover every single aspect of the
trade, which can be expensive, timeconsuming and demanding – and often
takes the hard-sell route. They can then
move onto other aspects and gradually
build up their business offering a service
that a lot of the more established (old
fashioned) locksmiths do not offer making
your business more attractive to your
customers giving them the service they
want all under one roof.
“We have also found that many wouldbe locksmiths sadly fail to recognise the
reality of set-up costs and as a result, can
fail in the first few months of trading.
“Our UPVC repair course is aimed at
giving people the knowledge they need to
handle this work specifically, and in order
to achieve that, they don’t need to spend a
fortune (unlike the start up costs that can
be incur