Hello everyone - Can anyone help??

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Hi there.. Only just discovered this forum.. Basically I have just been granted a career development loan and am looking to start a comprehensive web design course which comprimises of ECDL, CIW, MCSD and MCAD certifications..

My issue being that I don't know wether the learning provider I'm gonna to start course with are a bunch of scheisters or not??.. The complete career track fees are £5400 and that gives you a guaranteed 20k job placement on completion of the course (within 60 days or your fee's back!).. The people I've looked at are called UK IT training (www.ukittraining.com) in Tolworth...Does' anyone know anything good or bad about these guys.. or any help on similar courses..

I've been reading on this forum about some pretty wild claims from Skilltrain, computeach, NITLC etc etc.. and I'm thinking very carefully before I hand over any dough.. I just wanna get into web design without getting ripped by the likes of these sales speil training companies... any help gratefully received...

Thanks
Dave

 

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Hi and welcome!

What follows is my *opinion*!

The industry is full to bursting with web designers. Far too many of them are not very good. I would suggest that you use the loan to support your company while you are getting started, rather than spend it on trainers.

You will find it very difficult to get good paying work because there will always be some kid working from his bedroom undercutting you. The only way to overcome this is if you have talent as a graphics designer.

Why ECDL? Have you genuinely not used a PC very much? ECDL is really an office-based cert for people who have had little exposure to PCs.

The other certs you mention are good stuff - but it is a long and hard road you will take to get all those. Much will depend on your current experience and ability with PCs and the 'net.

I would suggest you look at doing self-study on these.

What are you doing for income at the moment?

Remember - the above is my *opinion*!

Harry.

EDIT: Rereading your post makes me wonder if I have misinterpreted what you are trying to do. I assumed you wanted to run your own company. If this isn't the case then I would remind you first that loans have to be repaid! Perhaps your best move might be to go for the CIW starter exam with self-study. This would give you an idea how well prepared you are to go this route.

 

Hi David - firstly hi and welcome to CF

Secondly , you say

That's like saying "my bank granted me a car loan". Everyone (well, there are certain criteria, but anyway ...) can apply for a CDL, same as you can a morgtage or personal loan. Don't feel anyone is doing you a special favour here - as Harry said, you gotta repay it. The only real benefit being it's interest-free (the govt pays - I think this is still the case) for two years.

Just make sure you to go into any agreements on training with your eyes open. We can generally help with that !!

 

Wow.. that was quick.. this really is a good forum.. Thanks for the sound advice.. Sorry if I sound a little green around the ears when it comes to all things web.. I do have pretty good computer skills etc and have previous experience working managing a website business I just wanted to get into actually designer websites instead of managing the contents on them (I've only got R.S.A lvl 1 & 2 in C.L.A.I.T at mo - which I know is absolutely nothing!).. I know the ECDL is as basic as it goes but it's literally just the first step on this course to then go on to do the others.. But you're right that is a whole lot to chew on.. and I'm starting to open my eyes to how scheisty some of these 'learning providers' are.. I'm thinking of looking into Open University courses instead of these career track 'guarantee job!' courses..

With regard to the "granted a career development loan" statement sorry that was a rather bad choice of words.. Basically I got a 100% CDL (as opposed to the usual 80%) so it would be handy to do it with this money.. But I don't wanna get ripped off..

Also I am aware that it's really difficult to actually get jobs in this field due to the influx of people doing it who are generally crap and have had bad training.. hence why I'm asking you experts and am skeptical about this kind of job-placement course.

Any pointers on the best way to self-learn CIW MCAD MCSD etc?..

Thanks again.

 

Hi Dave Welcome To CF!

 

Thanks for the most noble of welcomes.. It's nice to be here

 

Hi Sparky

Excuse my blatent ignorance.. Erm yeah there is some stuff on this course regarding "coding dynamic database websites".. programming with ADO.NET amongst others.. It's quite a deep course though and I must admit I feel I would be thrown completely into the deep end with most of this..

Thanks again for the help and insight into the serious competitiveness of finding employment as a web designer.. I'll look into possible other IT routes too as I'm snooping for the right course..

Its also good to know that not all learning providers are slightly ambiguous with the truth although I'm beginning to suspect my one is indeed a bit dodgy..

 

Welcome to CF David.

There's not really much that I can add as you have received some really good advice.

You mentioned that you are thinking of the OU, Well I reckon if you want value for money then it will be your best bet. Ok so you wont get any 'certs' out of it, but you may well get a lot more of a return from it than a training provider can offer, at a lower cost to yourself. You can take it module by module, and completely at your pace. If you decide you don't want to continue that line of study after one module then do something else, they will all count in the end. Thats the advantage of flexible learning - you do what you want, and on your terms!

 

much appreciated mate.. This forum has been amazing thus far.. again sound advice.. Thank you

 

Hi Dave,

Welcome aboard, glad you found us, hope you stick around

 

Now I have no personal experience of CLAIT, but I believe that it is much the same as ECDL, so I would have thought there is no need to repeat!

If you have been managing a website business then IMHO the CIW is your best way forward. Again - I haven't done it myself, but I'm told that the starter exam is a good fundamental grounding in the 'net technology, much like CompTIA's Network+ or i-Net+.

In your position I'd go for staying with the hands-on experience, while doing the CIW as a self study.

OU is good as well - and that can be done in your spare time, with the exception of a couple of weeks actualy in a classroom. (Or this was the case - I may be out of date on this now.)

Harry.

 

Thanks again Harry.. I was told by them that I'd need to do the ECDL before I could get on with the CIW.. Is that not the case?.. Because like you say I've pretty much done everything on that already.. Can anyone on CF recommend the best place for Distance Learning or Self Study in these subjects?.. I'm looking at Keimos now??? (http://www.keimos.net/information/atc.htm)

 

Someone from Keimos hangs around here, and usually offers unbiased advice, so no doubt before long he'll have some advice to offer you.

Drop Him a PM if you feel you want more info.

Keimos

 

thanx again!

 

Hi David, welcome aboard!

J.

 

Have a look at the CIW Foundation page . There is nothing there that requires any previous cert to do this exam.

So - I would say that ECDL is not required.

Harry.

 

Welcome to CF..

 

Hi there David and welcome to CF

 

Thank you again for the welcome.. This Forum is wicked.. It's been an absolute god-send and has actually changed my mind about my course provider.. Lucky I discovered it or I could could be 5G in CDL debt with a rubbish learning provider... It's all strting to add up now.. They even had an aptitude test which was barely even about computers.. one of the questions was.. What is the capital of Austrailia?.. a, Melbourne, b, Sydney, C, Canberra, Or D, Perth.. I must admit I was starting to think this is a bit fishy!! Can I phone a friend?..

I think I'll self learn my CIW and go on from there...

Thanks for all your help chaps!!