ELC Training providers - any experience with any of these?

Discussion in 'Training & Development' started by AuRoR, Jun 10, 2011.

  1. AuRoR

    AuRoR Bit Poster

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    Hi all,

    I'm looking at doing the CIW cert packages and need some advice / recomendations on training providers.

    Before you hit the reply button I know of the self study route and I'm an advocate of it but I have £2000 to spend on training courses under the army ELC scheme so I may as well use it to get the books and anything else is a bonus!

    the training providers must be authorised by the scheme, below is the list of providers that offer the CIW certs.

    Home Learning College - Looks good, comes with tutor support but very expensive and they don't do the e-commerce exam at the moment. The salesman tried filling me with his BS though, had to keep stopping him and asking him direct questions.

    CIW Certification | CIW Courses | CIW Training | Certified Internet Web Course | Home Learning College

    UK Open Learning - Seems a good balance of cost and quality. You get the complete official self study packages + videos, mock tests and more. No tutor but meh oh well.

    CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster). Courses for Distance Learning Home Study. Correspondence Courses from UK Open Learning

    One-Tech - Don't know much about these. I'm going to give them a call.

    One-Tech UK Ltd.- Web Site Design Consultant UK, Web Design Courses, CCNA Course

    National IT Learning Centre - Very little info on the site. Need to enquire further.

    National IT Learning Centre | IT Training, Qualifications and Certifications

    So what do you guys think of these providers? Any heads up on the quality / delivery of the material?

    Any help is appreciated :-)
     
    Certifications: GNVQ ICT, Nat Diploma IT Practitioners
    WIP: Head above water
  2. AuRoR

    AuRoR Bit Poster

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    Just wanted to say that I know that the CIW course is not a popular cert and that I'm justv asking for opinions on these providers in general. What I'm most interested in is what material do you get for the money.

    For example, I can get ALL of the CIW content for £2100 with 1 provider but they dont provide a tutor. With another I can get a tutor but I will only be able to do 3 exams. I don't know how much I would use a tutor tbh as the time it takes to speak to them I could have found the answer via Google or forums. So I think the former might be best, more books for my money even if I don't intent on doing those certs for a while.

    So if all I'm going to get is the official course material then I may as well go for the cheaper option!

    Cheers
     
    Certifications: GNVQ ICT, Nat Diploma IT Practitioners
    WIP: Head above water
  3. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    Well, if we ignore the debate about how useful CIW will be in your future career...

    CIW is a bit of an odd cert.
    By this I mean there is very little 'independant' material you can get hold of to self-study. They are very protective of their stuff.
    Therefore the only places you can get official training material it through CIW approved ATPs. The material they produce is pretty good, but at the end of the day, it's a few manuals, a CD-ROM and some online stuff.
    CIW do various levels of material, some is just the books, some is books and practice exams, some includes a voucher to sit the exam, so just make sure you know which package you are being offered.

    Other than the availability of the materials, there is very little benefit of studying CIW through a training provider. It simply isn't difficult enough to warrant the extra work. Just grab some text books on web design and have a bit of a play around. Within a few months you'll have all the knowledge you need to pass the exams (full curriculums er, curricula, er curriculii, can be found on the CIWcertified website).

    The problem with funded schemes like this is that the government says 'we're going to do a scheme to help people out when they leave the forces. We'll pay a training provider up to £2000 to train them. Who can do it?'
    (chorus of voices)'We can'.
    'Oh good, how much will it cost?'
    'Er, £2000'.
    'Oh, there's a piece of luck, cheers.'

    So what I'm saying is the price of the course is usually set by the funding available, rather that the actual cost of the course in real terms.

    Having said that, it isn't your money so you may well choose to spend it anyway - indeed, why not - that's what it's there for.

    I can't really recommend any of the TPs you mention over any other. Usual rules apply. Ask about their pass rates, ask if you can visit them, ask if you can speak to another student etc etc. All stuff to get the BS out in the open.
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  4. AuRoR

    AuRoR Bit Poster

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    Thanks for the advice Jonny it is as expected.

    I already work for a web design company (already left the army) but just wish for a structered path to follow, the self satisfaction of achieveing another qual and because it's free!

    I'm going to call each provider on my list and ask for a full, detailed list of everything that is included. All I really want is the official books (which are pricey) and the supplemental videos etc and then I'm away.

    In the meantime if anyone has anything to say on any of these providers that would be great. I've searched them on CF and found a few snippets of info but still unsure.

    NITLC seems to have the best reviews so far and you get the most extras but UK Open learning will get me all the official books for the same price. The home learning college has some bad reviews and the sales guy put me off. One-Tech has a poor site and little info and seems to be unknown.

    Either way I'll post my findings. Thanks
     
    Certifications: GNVQ ICT, Nat Diploma IT Practitioners
    WIP: Head above water
  5. Hally

    Hally Bit Poster

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    It won't allow me to post links on here with me being new but I bought the Official courses mentioned and get support from Distance Learning Centre.

    I paid a lot less than the figures mentioned above so I would Google "distance Learning Centre ciw" and check their prices before you pay more than you should!

    Hope this helps, I am new to these forum thingies!

    Hally
     
    Certifications: CIW Web Foundations Associate, CIW Web Design Specialist, A+ Certification
  6. dmarsh
    Honorary Member 500 Likes Award

    dmarsh Petabyte Poster

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    If you already work in web design then a vast amount of the CIW is going to be a waste of your time.

    You'd be better off building your own path to follow and using books / CBT's / websites and studying what interests you.
     

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