qualification for shoe repairs

[Fast Fix Elgin]

Hi I will be taking on a new employee and want to give them a shoe repair qualification to work toward anybody on this web site able to head me in the right direction...thanks

[k4mrc]

good luck,

i used to do the same in fact at least 3 of my employees got the 'then' city & guilds qualification!

but these have been replaced and there is no more!

i even tried to take the examiners test to do it myself, but the society of master shoe repairs were very reluctant to do it - even though it was costing me more than them!

Mr Ray Barlow is the last (or so i think) person to do it so try to get in touch with him, and if anyone knows his whereabouts he will help. top class guy.

[keithm]

I believe the MSA have a number of courses for training.

[k4mrc]

believe the MSA have a number of courses for training.

I believe the MSA have a number of courses for training.

 

yeah - they were the NVQ's we took, but because of 'costings' they stopped them, i think Mr T's do there own.

bit strange to me as if the MSA did them in a proffesional manner they might actually attract a lot more attention!

[keithm]

I concur

[Lee]

I was told in a meeting with CuttingEdge & MSA on the 12th August that the MSA are about to produce a training video, which will take 6-12 months to complete.

 

Personally I don't see the point in a training video, youtube does the job for me! but at least it will be a step in the right direction to recognised training. I've been doing the job for decades & even if I took training it would only be to get a certificate on the wall, so why would I?

 

Lee

[k4mrc]

ironic thing - part of the downfall of the SMSR perhaps,

i got them to come to my shop and do the NVQ's for my staff, and ray barlow came to do the test etc; and told me they needed more assessors, i put my name in the hat offering to be the midlands assessor, which would have meant for me to travel back and forth take the tests (out of my own pocket) which then would have helped independant repairers offering NVQ's to future trainees, this did not happen as even though i was paying my own money it would have cost SMSR a little to operate and time to keep up with and maintain!

and then it all stopped!

now we have none!

and any person applying for a job (except fo mr t's as they have there own system in place) have very little chance of getting any qualifications.

which makes us the independant not so much as good employer to work for, as most kids try and get diploma's etc,

i now dont push these concepts on any future employees, and just have to have training manuals h&s etc.

but i feel it needs adressing.

[Fast Fix Elgin]

Thanks k4mrc for your input... its what i had expected i put an employee throu SNVQ about 8 years ago it was organized by SMSR the assesor was the then area manager of Mr Ts Bill Taylor, i did'nt know SMSR had went to the wall but in all fairness the FSB gives you more benifits for the membership fees... Thank again k4mrc.

[TheCustomer]

I know of the Cordwainers college around the corner from me at the London college of Fashion, who run shoemaking courses although, perhaps they are too time consuming and don't fit in very well with work. Here is the link anyway:

http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/courses/f ... sories.htm

 

However, while poking around for the above link I came across this qualification on the NDAQ system, which on the face of it seems to fit in well with shoe repairs and key cutting etc. Lee, what's your opinion?

 

http://www.accreditedqualifications.org ... vices+(QCF)++qualification.seo.aspx

 

This is the company who award the above qualification http://www.abcawards.co.uk/

I have no if there is a live course or some kind of home study package but, it may be worth investigating.

 

Good Luck.

Harry.

[Lee]

The first link didn’t work, probably because it was a search result, but the 3 qualifications on offer from this site are

 

ABC Level 2 Certificate in Shoe Repair, Key Cutting and Associated Multi Services (QCF)

ABC Level 2 Award in Shoe Repair, Key Cutting and Associated Multi Services (QCF)

ABC Level 2 Diploma in Shoe Repair, Key Cutting and Associated Multi Services (QCF)

 

Personally I think qualifications are fruitless, when your looking for a builder you don’t ask what qualifications he has. You might ask if he is insured or a member of a body that offers YOU protection if something goes wrong. You will probably have chosen him from a recommendation & this principle works with us repairers.

I’ve been here many years & have built a loyal customer base, they are not interested in certificates on the wall! I have NEVER had a new customer ask what my qualifications are! If they do want to now a bit about me I point them in the direction of the work awaiting collection & allow them to look at what ever they want.

Once they have seen the work they know I am qualified.

 

Consumers are interested in protection these days, good customer service when something goes wrong.

I don’t know how members who perhaps work for someone & have maybe moved to a new employer or maybe a multiple feel about how a qualification might have helped them get a job?

 

I have a friend who moved to a multiple some years ago, they spent a day in branch to be assessed & got the job that way & what employer wouldn’t take the most competent candidate on for a job, regardless of the bits of paper a lesser candidate might have?

 

I can see the point that a trainee might have more incentive if they are working towards something, but personally I don’t see this argument. If you are interested in the job & find it enjoyable then building your skills through experience will be your biggest reward.

 

Lee

[keithm]

=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

 

Knowing that the MSA board are members on this Forum, it would be interesting to hear what they have to say. However, they are conspicuous by there absense I can't believe that if they take themselves seriously, that they couldn't take the time to watch this Forum and comment whenever the opportunity arrises.

 

Beggars belief

[ironplanet uk900]

Its a mentality thing Keith, Like Jealous kids who won't play with you cus you have a new bike....funny really

[petercoulson]

I'm ok i got an ology

[Lee]

I'm also OK, I've got my hands & my brain, who needs an ology

 

what you got an ology in then Peter?

 

Lee

[petercoulson]

first aid skills & training

[keithm]

That don't spell ology PC

[keithm]

That spells F.A.S.T.

[hibsjo(SCO)]

the qualifications thing is a good tool if you want to take someone from one of the government retraining schemes where they will pay towards their wage if they are training to achieve a qualification.

HOWEVER i have to concur on the lack of input from the "trade leading organisation"

which i am a member of BUT we dont want to go into politics on here as ive had this discussion a hundred times regarding obtaining RECOGNISED QUALIFICATIONS.

msa dont have the lobby to go to government and achieve this so we are wasting our time discussing this.(or are we?)

Rick could start another campaign on our behalf.....................

carry on!

[petercoulson]

that must be it keith, i have a fastology............................

certainly not fast bikes anyway

[elfman]

quite right lee ,qualfications are fruitless for a number of reasons

 

first of all who trained the trainer and who trained him and so it can go on and this applies to every trade

 

at what point in anyones career does someone become an expert and who decides what level of knowledge is needed to be classed as an expert and what qualifies ???????????? them to say you are an expert

 

here is another example how many town centres have been destroyed by so called qualified town planners

 

how many experts have been proved wrong time and again

 

as you say show them your work ,explain what you will do and let them decide for themselves ,and allways beaware that no matter how good you are ther will allways be someone who is not happy with your work, this may not be the case for some on the forum yet but it will happen at one stage of your working life

[keithm]

I concour with the majority of views on this thread, but you cannot ignore the apparent level of expertise in our industry. Whilst I agree that qualifications are probably not the answer, how do you stop the ill trained from entering our highly skilled trade, specifically shoe repairs?

 

I am old enough to remember (now I'm 48 Yesterday ) the imense damage done to shoe repairing during the so called 70's heel bar explosion It took years to shake off that stigma, of which I was part of when I entered it in 1978.

 

The quality of shoe repairs has decreased over that time and I wonder whether the Trade will be sustainable over the next 30 years or so given the lack of quality coming in. That is a statement which I would hope I would never have to make, but if you're a realist, it will have to be addressed at some stage

 

Just my opinion of course

 

Keith

[elfman]

ther are a number of issues here keith , i find that there are very few peaple around that are prepared to get into a job that will take years to learn and not pay a good wage whilst they are learning.

most of todays youth want to work in clean areas like office work and it

as for the damage done by the heel bar opperaters this is still going on today and will continue to do so untill the demise of the while you wait shoe repair , ther are still a lot of the public who have the impression that we have a magic glue that bonds instently , although this may upset a few peaple ,the biggist contributers to this problem were the likes of , coombes ,mr minit and timpsons.

at one time timpsons would take someone on train them for 6 or so months and then put them in a shop as a manager .

[k4mrc]

at one time timpsons would take someone on train them for 6 or so months and then put them in a shop as a manager .

 

it's a Timpson quality thing, - there staff are always saying they are the best! - compared with Mr Minit who used to take someone on - train them for a whole SIX weeks, then put them in a heel bar/shop and call them !manager!!

[Iain]

When we took over the business back in 97, we took over what was essentially a heel bar. Rick was adamant we would not continue in that direction and instead, expand our services and offer a complete repair service. The amount of customers we saw who expected quick fixes for a low price was frightening.

 

We quickly learned that many of those customers would find and use the cheapest out repairer out there and so we lost quite a number of customers in the early years. There were at least 2 other heel bars within walking distance and they charged much less than we did.

While we lost a few customers, we gained many more. Especially those who wanted a more thorough repair and did not mind paying the extra.

It's true what Keith states in that a lot of damage was done by the heel bars. It has taken us years to detach ourselves from the stigma associated with them.

 

I was intitially trained by a man who cared little about quailty and more about the price he was getting. I left the trade not knowing any different and it was only when Rick and I joined forces that I learned there was much more work to be done if I wanted to be a proper repairer. It has paid off and incidentally, the 2 heel bars faded out some years ago.

 

elfman, you couldn't be more right about the 'magic glue'. Only this week I lost a customer who wanted a sole and heel finished within half and hour on shoes which required some serious priming! They insisted it could be done, even though the shoes had not been repaired before. Again, that whole 'heel bar' attitude is still prevalent in some people. We will not rush a job out just to see it return as a complaint the week after.

 

Iain

 

Would any proposed qualification encompass the trade of key cutting or engraving? Maybe that could be an entirely different course.

[ironplanet uk900]

You, I, or anyone else in the trade should not be worried what, or how others do things. Whether its Timpsons or an Independant.

Its what you do in your business that counts. If you are doing well then you must be doing something right (are Timpsons not doing well !!!)

We are not running a huge empire which is a whole different ball game.

Some of you, myself included could learn a hell of a lot from the running of a good Timpson outlet, and I'm sure they could learn a bit from us guys.

I am immensley proud of my business and my staff, I personally don't believe there are many who offer a better service (my opinion).

 

But.... If I owned the Timpson brand, I'd be even prouder, and rightly so..a hugh successful machine that must take a hell of alot of maintainance. Respect were its due.

 

Its easy to run your own one man business, but try taking on staff and leaving them to it, thats when you'll show Timpsons a little respect the countries full of lazy "drongo's" who wouldn't know what a conciencious days work was if it smacked them in the face, unless your standing over em.