Options Skills FAQs

All necessary reading material will be provided for all courses unless specified.

Naturally, we would encourage you to speak with one of our trainers. Just arrange to come and see our training facilities and our trainers will be only too happy to answer any questions.

We do offer flexible training, subject to availability.

However, you must attend training in a minimum of 5-day blocks. Whilst the idea of training at a rate of 2 or 3 hours per week may seem attractive, in reality, it is not feasible. You will never complete your training programme by attempting to do it like this. If you are serious about undertaking a course and changing your career you must commit to it.

Our courses run right throughout the year. They do not always run back to back but there are only ever a couple of weeks between courses.

Definitely not. Our courses are designed with complete beginners in mind, and our trainers are there to help you become fully qualified in your area of choice.

Your payments are protected as per our Terms and Conditions. You have a 14-day cooling off period.

Job Club is free to attend and is designed to help you with your search for work and to assist with CV writing and interview techniques.

All our courses are taught by professionals who all have experience in their field both on-site and classroom experience.

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee to find you a job. We do guarantee that we employ a dedicated team of people whose sole purpose is to build relationships with relevant employers across the country. This team has successfully introduced many Options Skills Trainees to employers, success will ultimately dependent upon your own efforts.

We don’t offer payment plans at this time.

You must pay your balance within 2-weeks of paying your deposit or in full if your course starts in less than 1-month.

We ask for this commitment due to the popularity of our courses.

As our courses sell in advance and we often have a waiting list, it is essential that everybody booked onto a course is in a position to undertake training and can pay for it. 

You must be aware that you will not also be comparing a like for like product. We’re cheaper than some prroviders and more expensive than others. We believe we offer the best value for money on the market. We benefit from hundreds of independent, positive reviews; there are no hidden charges; we offer full terms and conditions that provides you with full consumer protection; we’re proud members of the Trading Standards ‘Buy With Confidence’ Scheme; we offer frequent start dates; free re-sits if necessary; we genuinely care and want you to succeed hence the added investment in aftercare such as our in-house recruitment and employment team.

Yes. City & Guilds is a brand, the same as EAL or LCL Awards is a brand. All qualifications on offer adhere to all national standards and are approved by OFQUAL and relevant trade bodies. There is no difference if your NVQ qualification is branded by EAL or City & Guilds

There is a constant demand. Do your own research but a good indicator is job boards such as Indeed, have a look in your area at vacancies open for qualified electricians and gas engineers.

This will depend upon where you live, level of experience and qualifications. However, a good idea is to look at the job boards, what available, what salaries are being paid. You must also be realistic; you are not going to be earning the top salary immediately. Your worth will increase with qualifications and experience.

You must be able to write, understand and be able to communicate in English. If you are concerned, we would ask that you undertake an online aptitude test prior to making any decision about joining the course. The aptitude test results will indicate whether the course is suitable for you.

You do not need any formal qualifications however a reasonable standard of Maths and English is required. You will need to be able to pass the on-line aptitude test.

It is beneficial, as is the ability to solve problems and work with your hands. You may be better at Maths than you think. Take the aptitude test before you make any decision!

The government is committed to reducing the country’s carbon footprint. How this will be achieved is still to be seen but it will undoubtedly involve renewables, electric cars etc. It does not necessarily mean that everything will turn electric as there are many thoughts as to how we, as a country can reduce our carbon footprint.

Over 20 million domestic properties in the UK currently use natural gas as a source of heating and hot water. There has been talk about banning the use of domestic natural gas as a source of heat/ hot water in new build properties from 2025. However, the new build market only makes up a small percentage of overall housing stock. Realistically, the use of Domestic Natural Gas cannot be banned overnight as it would take generations to just decommission existing infrastructure.

It is likely that domestic natural gas will be replaced by the use of hydrogen, which is carbon neutral. Many boiler manufacturers are now making boilers that are hydrogen ready in anticipation of this, not yet confirmed switch. It is a fascinating conversation and one that is too big to cover here. There is plenty of information online regarding this topic that will help answer your questions about, here’s a link to an independent website that should answer most of your questions surrounding this topic – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/22/ban-new-gas-boilers-uk-net-zero-target-cbi-climate-goals-heating

Where possible we will introduce you to a local engineer to enable you to complete your portfolio. However, this will be dependent upon your location. For instance, if you live in a very rural part of the country you may have to travel further than somebody that lives in a big city. Regardless of where you live, you will be expected to travel on a daily basis, this is the nature of the industry. See our Gas Portfolio Requirements page for more information