Looking for advice on training

[Steven27]

Good Morning All!
I'm obviously new here and am seeking advice. I'm an absolute beginner and am in process of choosing an online locksmithing course to get started in the industry. I've heard good things about the Foley-Belsaw course and am hoping someone here can confirm or deny that this is the way to go.
Thank you for your time and input
Steven

[Papa Gleb]

Hey Steve and welcome. You sure came to the right place as we here have a wide variety of experts and professionals. I would also recommend you to check out Wayne Winton's website and YT channel. He is a locksmith and has many videos which aim to help beginning locksmiths.

Im not a locksmith although I have put lots of though into becoming one but during the this time, I have learned probably 3 years worth of school. YT and KP are my teachers and they are the best not to mention free. So it depends, if you need to get a career going ASAP then take a course but if its something you want for a side job then maybe dont rush to drop a few grand on a school and read the locksmith posts here as well as learn from YT. This will give you a feel so you know if this is the right path for you plus you will be that much more prepared for your course.

Also check your local laws. If this is an online course, then their certification may not apply in your state. Im in NY and I can not take an online course. Here I either drop 10K for a course which will get me a locksmith license OR have 2 licensed locksmiths sign certifying that I am able to do locksmith services. I already have 1 signature and if I decided to become a locksmith and offer services to the public, I will not be taking that course because the 10-12 month course only has about 1-2 months of new stuff to teach me that I currently dont know and that I can learn on my own.

[MBI]

I'd suggest reading the forum, especially the "stickies". There's more info here, overall.

For some of the stuff you won't find on the forum, go to eBay and buy someone's used FB course materials. You can often find them for $20-$50. It'll allow you to do the work, you just won't have someone grading it and sending you a completion certificate at the end.

Also look up SOPL online. Some of their coursework is available online for free.

When it comes to getting a job in the industry, being a humble, teachable person with a good work ethic will mean a lot more than that certificate. Plus you can demonstrate that you can do the work in lieu of that piece of paper.

Welcome to the forum.

[mastersmith]

Another free resourse is this on-line school, locksmithschool4u.com. I haven't had the opertunity to look at all the course work they offer but it seems okay for the price! The lock picking instruction needs real work, get that training here! The tools they offer are not at great prices, but it is how the school remains free, so use your own judgement on that. Welcome to the forum. I guess I should include a disclaimer. I have no affiliation with the school nor do I know anyone that does. All righty then, Good Luck! Mark

[pickmonger2]

Sadly some of the locksmith courses have not been updated or never included adequate coverage of some topics.

You may want to compare what you are taught by Foley Belsaw vs Penn Foster. Penn Foster seems to ME to cover more information and is more recent.

One tactic that I have found useful is to use one of the resources that some states post to prepare for the exam in there jurisdiction. You can see if your training school covers what you need to know to pass the state issue exam.

http://www.idfpr.com/Renewals/apply/FORMS/LOCKSMITHStudyGuide.pdf is one example of what you need to know to write the exam to get a state issued locksmith license in Illinois.

If you check out the requirements for a locksmith license in Alberta Canada you can see the 4 year apprentice training and what you need to know.
http://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/SOURCES/PDFS/course_outlines/050_outline.pdf.

Its overkill but it gives you a standard that you can measure yourself to determine what you should either know or know about.


[url][url]http://www.amazon.ca/Locksmith-Security-Professionals-Study-Guide/dp/0071549811/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1446611693&sr=8-2&
keywords=locksmith++and+security+professionals[/url]
[/url]

This is study guide you can use to evaluate locksmith training and if it will cover material you need to know.
[url]http://www.amazon.ca/Locksmith-Security-Professionals-Study-Guide/dp/0071549811/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1446611693&sr=8-2&
keywords=locksmith++and+security+professionals[/url]

Last there is the http://www.sopl.us that offers free mandatory course or you take some of the paid ones and you get certificates that I BELIEVE
are more respected than some of the schools like Belsaw.