Ralph
My opinion may be considered biased, but IMHO, the NCCA coarse is superb. It covers most of what can be absorbed by a newbie but at the same time is of value to more experienced technicians. Should you wish to join the Association, it is probably the cheapest way of gaining the necessary training.
The two IICRC courses ie CCT and UFT are both 2 day courses (4 days in all) and cover much of the same ground as the NCCA, but probably more in a technical way rather than "hands-on". A valuable course but, IMO, perhaps a little intense for most newbies.
As for manufacturers, I have done the Prochem course and it was superb. OK, the products used are branded but it doesn't detract from the courses content. From memory, they run a two day carpet course for newbies or a one day course for more experienced techs who have received other training. The upholstery is a seperate one day course. Best check with Prochem in case I'm wrong. Quite often, if you purchase a new Prochem machine, you get a free training course too. Check that out with Express Cleaning Supplies above, this site's sponsors. Prochem run courses from their HQ in Surrey and also around the country.
I hear a lot of good things about Cleansmart in Nottingham, and the couses are run by Derek Bolton, a former NCCA Trainer, so you can expect high quality tuition.
Alltec have a good reputation for their own courses as well as IICRC. Paul Pearce is their instructor and he's probably regarded as the nations leader in this field.
You could always ring Chemspec in Yorkshire and see if they have any courses to suit your needs. I did their Woolsafe course with Julie Roberts and it was outstanding.
Safe and happy training
The Ken