Over the past few years, we have seen advancements in online learning with lots of training courses now being offered online. Online courses have made regular training more accessible for everyone and below we’ll outline some advantages that you can gain by choosing to learn online.
Update your knowledge
The plumbing and heating industry requires employees to keep up to date with their knowledge, regularly refresh their skills and be aware of new legislation and industry information. Training courses are vital in assisting with this and online courses makes professional development more achievable for everyone.
Online courses can be reactive to changes within the industry and can be designed specifically to focus on key areas of industry development. This means they are up to date and providing you with the most relevant information.
Your organisation, communication, time management and online digital skills will also be developed during your course as an additional benefit. These are all skills that can be transferred into the workplace and used every day.
You choose your location
Previously, training would have taken place in person, and you would have been required to travel to a given location. An advantage of online courses is that they can be undertaken wherever is most convenient for you, as long as you have suitable facilities. Usually, online learning will just require you to have a quiet room where you can clearly hear any audio, access to the internet and a laptop/PC.
Being able to choose where you undertake the training is advantageous as it usually means less time and money is spent on travelling.
A time that suits you
The ability to advance your knowledge and learn new skills without too much disruption to your daily routine is a huge benefit of online learning.
Many online courses will have some sort of structure that will require you to attend some live elements at a set time. There will also be an online assessment you will need to complete in order to officially pass the course. Our courses are shorter courses that are no longer than 10-12 hours over a five-day period. Each day is given a two-hour timeslot where the training will be completed which has the added advantage for installers of not having to take a whole day off from trading as appointments can be scheduled around the time slots.
Networking opportunity
You might think that online learning is not as sociable as face-to-face training, but online platforms are set up to enable participants to easily conversate and interact with each other.
Course instructors usually encourage group discussions between delegates, and this can create a great community feel for the duration of the course.
The advantage of online courses is that due to the ease of access, you will find that people from all over the country can take part which is usually a limitation of face-to-face training. This means that whilst you are attending your course you can also network with others from your industry that you may not have met if the course was taking place in person.
BPEC Approved
APHC has worked closely with training provider BPEC in order to ensure that training and assessments can be delivered remotely. BPEC is a specialised provider of industry recognised training courses and assessments so you can be sure that you are receiving the most up to date industry information and qualifications.
Previous delegate, Damon Blakemore (BPH), said: ‘I really enjoyed the course and the teacher Graeme Dryden was knowledgeable. I like the fact it could be done online and it was the best G3 course I’ve ever done’.
The APHC 2022 programme of courses include: Legionella Cold Water Risk Assessment & Disinfection, Domestic Hot Water Storage Systems (Unvented) and Sanitary and Above Ground Drainage.
Online learning does have a range of benefits, but it is important that you choose the right course in order to secure your success.
You need to be sure that the subject is suitable for you and that you have the right requirements to join the course. For example, the APHC Legionella Cold Water Risk Assessment & Disinfection course requires delegates to hold a relevant NVQ Level 2 or equivalent practical experience of the plumbing and the water industry.
Before you apply for an online training course it is a good idea to have a clear understanding of what type of course you need and what time you can dedicate to it, this will ensure you pick the right course for your needs and have the best chance of success.
A full list of APHC training course dates for 2022 can be found at www.aphc.co.uk/training-courses.
Please contact APHC on 0121 711 5030 or info@aphc.co.uk for further information or to discuss course requirements in more detail.
