Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Barry Pearce on April 30, 2005, 02:20:14 pm
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We all know from our school days and early work experience that there are good and some terrible teachers, and teaching is to impart knowledge, training however is practical education or so the concise dictionary tells us.
Why do people think that because they know something about a subject or even know the job inside out, that they have that gift of communication, of getting things over in a construtive manner that spures the pupil to want to succeed.
Now bear in mind that I have been a trainer on oriental rug restoration and carpet repairing for over 20 years and have probebly met more franchisees, loss ajusters, loss assessors, claims inspectors, and CCs for training and most importantly the follow up. "A lifetimes hotline" that still keeps me in touch with the grass roots.
The lack of professional preparation and approach is the biggest let down, I do not do stain removal now but when I did every student had an A4 size bound plain wool sampler and on it would be 15 seperate circular stains four tea and four coffee stains, one of each was one hour old, one day, one week, and one month old, there was also one each of Rust, Polish, Oil, Lipstick, Eye Shadow, Tar, and Latex, the same would be repeated on a plain synthetic bound sampler and these after being worked on would be taken home by the student. and what do I hear on the grape vine today on that same subject, a rag bag of stained fraying carpet peices of all differant qualitys and colours, some of which had been used before and with no order and little or no presentation.
It is not a nice prospect when the keen newcomers full of enthusiasm and thirsting for knowledge are palmed with "It'll do---They'll be alright"
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Is this a dig at a particular person or organisation, or your thoughts on the general standards of training courses that are available today?
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Hi Neil
it is not so much my thoughts, but the trickle of information, the gossip, the feed back from colleges, you have to realise that because of carpet fringe sales and enquiries about restoration I am in regular contact with the trade and because I have always stood above the cut and thrust of carpet cleaning they have some how felt that I can be confieded in, and my comments are a generalisation in the downward trend of standards, and in particular training and trainers.
If anybody has been on a course that has had spot and stain removal and read my presentation, how did your course compere?
Barry
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bad trainers good trainers , what is a trainer someone who should know how to do a task in many ways. most trainers only show you the one, beneficial to there company that is not training. that is taking your har5d earned cash and ramming down your throats thers sponsers products true ?
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Several points here...I suppose that Barry is repeating the old adage...If you can't clean ..teach!' (with apologies to those who use this phrase in its more frequently used context... "If you can't work ...become a teacher") ;)
Barry I am surprised at 'you', of all people, listening to gossip ;) people will always whinge whatever...if they didn't the majority of conversation as we know it would cease overnight....think about it!...No, just listen to any conversation in the street and you will see what I mean.
The old samples used by some trainers that Barry refers to will probably reflect the true problems faced by cleaners on site (We all know only too well the raids on cupboards under the kitchen sink by the client BEFORE we are asked in to perform "the miracle"!)...
I have seen too many chemicals and manufacturers technicians over the years who test their products in 'ideal' laboratory conditions...Mrs Joe Public doesn't live in a laboratory!...if only.
Sherlock ...you are correct there are some courses run by retailers who do heavily subsidise the courses to cleaners therefore wish to recoup their investment..we cannot criticise them for trying to promote sales of their products...makes good business sense and as an astute business person yourself I am sure you will understand my point.
The NCCA and IICRC do 'NOT' sell chemicals or equipment therefore they run generic training courses... the rule is if they name a product they must also include several others made by different companies....so there are alternatives
Cheers
Derek
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Derek.
I was trying to be diplomatic over the disquiet of many many CCs who talk in confidence to me, "There is trouble at tut mill" and at a course an indevidual may find it very intimidating, hence they find a sympathetic ear and out trot the complaints, "Things were not as they expected"
Perhaps the wording of the actual promotion needs to be defined.
A tutor (theory,Ideology) teaches deligates at a seminar.
A trainer (Instructor, practical education) student (acquisition of learning or of skill) in a workshop environment.
If a training course its not hands on, then it has to be a called seminar and many new CCs are being sadly misled.
My samplers for the students hands on spot & stain removal course had all normal domestic stains and for all I know the samplers are hanging on a nail in numerus workrooms and offices and pointed to with pride "I did that".
Barry
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Barry
You could call in and discuss this point with me next week if you have the time.. Do you realise its four years since we had our last bedside chat (I was in Hospital before you all start thinking)
I take your point and I do agree that there is training and training...the ideal solution is extremely difficult to arrange and costs could and do impose severe restrictions.
In an ideal world we could do practical training with all the whistles and bells plus aerials, wing mirrors etc.
What's the betting there would still be whingers who would find fault.
I deleted my next comment..it was perhaps a little impolite
Derek
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Derek
I will look forward to nipping down to the Nuffi.
Perhaps the National Cleaning Council who have Govenment funding could be approached to look into the potential of a Univercity Chair being created, so that a curriculum on minimum standards on training, instruction and opperating proceedures within the cleaning industry, which distite its multi billion pound turnover does not have a very good public image, and it starts with the lack of true professionalisum at the top, "if you are trained badly, you will perform badly" and it dosn't matter whether its football or carpet cleaning.
Barry
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Barry,
I read your post with interest
I think you have a valid point which unfortuanley defeats an aqument I have been having regarding NCCA and IIRC being the only training bodies that will let you into NCCA.
The three day course that I did which did include spot and stain removal dod not have any examples to work in just a long list of what product to use on what stain, and yes they were Own Brand products.
Personally I think you can learn as much about cleaning from manuals and text books as you do on courses.
Which is why I think this National Cleaning Council should sponsor an open Learning programe.
What does this National Cleaning Council do with its Government Funding
I have nothing against the Government helping the cleaning industry as long as help is actually reaching those on the ground and not swelling Catering companies coffers
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Ian.
I still think that the NCCA have seat on the national council, I sat on it myself years ago and I felt lost in the jargon of the thinkers but the heart of it is in the right place. As for the detail of what their remit is today could be best explained by the NCCA directors, your comments about training is a continuing sore to many, they say "one picture is worth a thousand words" and it could be true to also say "that one practice is worth a thousand pictures".
I'm just a simple craftsman who lives for the moment when the student say's "OK, now you have shown me, let me have a go".
Barry