Good and bad acs centres

[safc]

Just wondered if anyone has had any bad experiances whilst doing there ACS exams ect. Reason I ask is that i sent 4 of my engineers to a particular centre (i wont name and shame) and after one day they have all refused to go back. They said the examiner made them sit at east 3 desks apart and they had to stay in total silence throughout. One of my lads was almost at breaking point. I rang the guy up today he said tough thats how its done so i just wondered if anybody new any other gas centres in the south east they would reccomend ?

 

[SafeGasInstall]

well this is how is done in my training centre to ! i don't see anything wrong with it ?????????????????????????????

 

[SafeGasInstall]

what were you expecting ????

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

and mine but your told feel free if you want a *** or a cuppa,at the end of the day your being tested what would you expect?

 

[willing2learn]

I'm currently doing mine at EDS in Swindon. Really enjoying it, the guys that run it (Jason and Paul) are very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Plenty of working examples of various valves etc. Would gladly recommend.

 

[Reg Man]

ACS centres have a strick protocol for assessments, which should ensure everyone who gets recommended as a safe gas worker has completed the assessment on their own merit. Chit chat in the assessment room is probably not helpful to anyone. GTA gas training and assessments in Basildon, I found very helpful and fare. Blue Flame in Newcastle under Lyme have a great centre, especially for industrial commercial. First training in Huntingdon were good for LPG. CK assessments Broxbourne and Adrian Brown in Saffron Walden also found very proffesional.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

its the same where i do mine and have done for about 15 years peter and james are great but your there to learn/show you know your stuff but in my case port Talbot a bit to far for you to travel to i think kirkgas would be best called upon for a opinion on this

 

[safc]

I'm currently doing mine at EDS in Swindon. Really enjoying it, the guys that run it (Jason and Paul) are very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Plenty of working examples of various valves etc. Would gladly recommend.

Cheers for that, I will have to look into that as thats actually closer to my office then where they first went.

 

[willing2learn]

Cheers for that, I will have to look into that as thats actually closer to my office then where they first went.

No worries. I'll mention to them that you're interested if you like

 

[GrahamM]

I do not really get the issue here. Are you talking about the actual ACS exam?
It is an exam set under exam conditions to test your knowledge of important regs/standards to qualify you to do a very important job safely.
Are you expecting the lads to be sitting round a table swapping answers?
What you describe in your opening post sounds like the centre is doing it properly to me.

 

[kirkgas]

i would hope candidates spoke of my centre like this, as others have said its an exam, and to be fair to all there needs to be a strict regime, plenty people slag the existing system but until it changes we have to make it as fair as possible, i can honestly say i take what i do seriously and if someone gets a new cert they have earned it, it is unfair to pass people who havent made the grade, and again a lot slag it so if they need to cheat they are dangerous,

 

[tamz]

Kirk would just want to try to catch you (well me) out

Couldny resist it Kirk

Just a thought.

If they made it hard there would be hardly any gasmen

 

[dontknowitall]

If they made it hard there would be hardly any gasmen

LOL - and truer than we'd like to admit!!

 

[kirkgas]

Kirk would just want to try to catch you (well me) out

Couldny resist it Kirk

Just a thought.

If they made it hard there would be hardly any gasmen

c'mon now Tam you know you cannae catch out the good ones, only the bams who come in and tell everyone how good they are, what they have done what they have earned who they have worked for, and complaining about having to come in and prove themselves, i always say to them why didnt you save time and money and just do the assessment then, with no training, i will set up the paperwork for you now if you want and you should finish in 1-1.5 days, then they say "eh well no, eh im off the tools abit now working in the office, eh i heard there are some changes, eh its all organised now, might as well take the training now" FUDS
thenn its "gas rating? no i only fit new boilers" "can i use a FGA? no i only service boilers i dont fit them" blah blah blah

 

[tamz]

That's true

 

[fuzzy]

why would someone walk out of an exam because its under exam conditions???

 

[kirkgas]

why would someone walk out of an exam because its under exam conditions???

i've had a couple leave, you could smell the "adrenalin" running out of them

 

[tamz]

Kirk has already said why

FUDS

 

[lewisplumber]

Able skills in dartford. Great teachers and they are a real friendly bunch. Would recommend them to any one.

 

[Blackcatgas]

West Notts College Mansfield, Gas Gain Mansfield, The second time around I was soo much better as I had done soo much more variety of work rather than new boilers and gas carcasses, you worry about it but then when Qs are asked differently its surprising how much you do know and how much you have absorbed,Ive got to do it for the 3rd time soon and It doest scare me now.

 

[metaldust9]

best place i no of is hybrid technical services in bootle merseyside and just opened up another one in isleworth middlesex very high standard dont mess about and treat ye like a proper person give ye every opertunaty to pass without telling you the answers

 

[gas57]

i went for my re assesment had to do it on my own nobody else was there i dident want to go back second day i had this for 5 days but you have to or you carnt work on gas dont no how young lads go on now

 

[fuzzy]

just read this thread again, i find the opening thread bizarre, thats a prime example of how the assessment should be done!

the easiest way to judge a good centre is to look at the training time and facilities. If they are cheap theres a reason, dont just judge on price. I advise as much training as possible, education is key to good quality and safe work, not just 'getting through assessment'

All assessment areas are pretty much the same*they have to be), check the amount and type of training, thats key to good quality

 

[kirkgas]

i agree that preperation and your skill are the key, however i am always amazed at the ammount of people who phone and say they want assessment only and are mince, after day 1 they say this isnt how it was the last time and they better take some training, and one of the biggest complaints about ACS is that it is the same old same old every 5yrs, some people just have too high an opinion of themselves and get brought down to earth with a bump, it is a pleasent experience assessing real experts as they just come in sit down and do their their as they do every day at work, yes there are parts of the assessment that dont really relate to working life and these are the bits a good assessor will "assist" a good candidate, however the ammount of expert installers who cannot calculate gas pipes, purge, confirm gas flow and pressures, use a FGA is totally shocking, i appreciate a lot of people do really good work every day in a specific field and again need guidance in the stuff they havent done for 5yrs but you get guys saying they are servicing OF boilers every week who cannot flue flow and spillage, it is criminal