Training Courses: Expectation Vs. Reality

Sometimes, bad expectations can cause people to avoid a situation completely and in the case of training courses, could stop them from enrolling at all.

Whether they think they won’t fit in, it’ll be too difficult to complete or they don’t have enough previous experience, we’re here to separate the fact from the fiction, the expectation from the reality.

Expectation: Previous Experience Is A Must
Reality: There’s No Experience Required

Having previous experience or knowledge can make things a little easier, but it’s not always necessary.  To get into college, you will need GCSEs or BTECs. For university, you generally need A-Levels or an Access to Higher Education Diploma. Things are different when it comes to training courses.

Options Skills training courses have been developed for those who are new entrants to the industry. Students learn essential skills and knowledge in the first eight weeks of their training. There’s no need to have prior experience. However, should you have worked in the industry before, we can take this into account. Maybe your part-qualified or time-served? Our courses can be tailored to suit you, whatever your situation.

For example, electricians who are time-served but looking to gain their NVQ Level 3 can enrol onto our Accelerated Electrical Training Course.

Expectation: Training Courses Are Expensive
Reality: They’re An Investment In Your Future

How much a training course costs very much depends on its content, duration and what qualification/certification it leads to. There is a common misconception that they can be expensive, but not really worth a lot. This may be the case for some out there, but for the majority of training courses delivered by reputable providers, the opposite is true. A good quality training course will not only be worth the cost but provide you with a significant qualification or certification at the end of it.

For instance, take our ACS Domestic Gas Training Course. Starting at £7000, a new entrant could train to be a gas engineer with us. After eight weeks of centre led training, on-site work experience with a mentor and ACS initial assessment, Options Skills gas trainees are ready to apply to the gas safe register. In comparison, three years of university can cost £27,000 – and that’s not including living costs that are necessary should you move away from home.

Undecided between the two? Have a read of our post designed to help you decide between University and Vocational Training.

Expectation: It’s Going To Be Difficult
Reality: Work Hard And You’ll Pass

Will you be able to get your head around all the material? Will you struggle with the practical side of things? Providing you work hard and put your all into the training course, there’s no reason why you won’t pass. We’re not saying training courses are easy, but they’re also not necessarily difficult if you put the effort in.

Plus, before beginning a course with Options Skills, we ask you to take an aptitude test. This test ensures you’re a suitable entrant for the course. So, if we believe in you and you’ve passed a test that proves you’re capable, all that’s left is to believe in yourself. Throughout the centre-led stage of your course and beyond, both our trainers and student liaison managers are available for support and advice. Whether that’s going over something you’ve learnt in the workshop or if you need advice while building your portfolio, our staff are always willing to help.

Expectation: It’s Just Theoretical Work
Reality: There’s A Mixture Of Practical & Theoretical Work

Think back to your school days. You imagined sciences lessons to be filled with exciting experiments, setting up bunsen burners and mixing chemicals. In reality, more often than you, you just ended up copying from textbooks.  Thankfully, your school days are over and training courses aren’t like this.

We ensure ours are a combination of both practical skills and theoretical knowledge. In doing so, we are able to guarantee that our trainees learn everything they need to know and have plenty of time to practise the skills they need to have before they go out to work on-site.

Expectation: I’ll Be The Odd One Out
Reality: There are People From All Backgrounds And Of All Ages

College and university are usually aimed at those leaving school, with the majority of their intake being students between the ages of 18-25. But, as more people are exploring their options, the number of people going back into education and starting new careers is increasing. Slowly but surely, more and more mature students are filling the seats in college classrooms and university lecture halls.

Our training courses have always been aimed at a wide range of people. Whether you’re 18 or 58, we believe it’s never too late to learn a new skill. You could be starting a brand new career or adding another string to your bow, whatever the reason, training courses are for you. Students join us from all over the UK, and sometimes even further afield. One thing they all have in common, however, is their desire to be a part of the trades industry.

Expectation: They Take Too Long To Complete
Reality: Duration Varies

When you think of further education, college and university most likely spring to mind. College courses generally take about two years to complete while a stint at university is a minimum of three years. So, it’s no surprise that people assume training courses will be the same, but that’s where they’re wrong. Training courses can vary greatly in duration depending on the course you are undertaking. Some will take a matter of weeks, others will last for a few years.

Generally, we estimate it will take a year on a full-time basis to complete either our ACS Domestic Gas Course or the NVQ Level 3 Electrical Training. The duration of both of these depends mostly on the student themselves. During step two, trainees are required to build a portfolio of work. If you’re training around an existing job, it’ll come as no surprise that it will take longer to complete your portfolio. If you’re training on a full-time basis, you’ll gather evidence of a range of jobs much quicker. Do keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way to do it, just the way that suits you best.

If you want to find out what our courses are like from past students themselves, we’ve got you covered. Not only do we have hundreds of reviews across Google, Feefo and Facebook, but we also have testimonials over on our YouTube channel.