Locksmiths have valuable skills—for a long time, locksmith training has been a skill set acquired during many months of on the job training, but this is changing. Like many professions, there is trend toward formal post secondary education for this line of work.
Some localities now require that locksmiths be licensed. For the student who plans on building a career with this important skill, formal training provides an education that is faster, more comprehensive, and a much better base for the self-employed entrepreneur. Formal credentials also give you credibility with potential clients.
Locksmith courses are available at a number of post secondary colleges, as distance education, and in online formats. Each has its advantages: while the distance and online formats allow you to complete your locksmith training at your own pace, and often while you work in another job, on site courses are generally quite short, and they get you launched in your new career more quickly. The variety of learning formats makes it easy for almost anyone to get this education.
There’s more to locksmith courses than many people think: good training now includes digital locks, electromagnetic locks and computerized security systems as well as more traditional things such as lock picking, lock fitting, safe opening, and changing combinations. Locksmith schools also teach key cutting and duplication, and rekeying. Finally, the best locksmith training includes some business courses as many locksmiths are self employed and must take care of the management side as well as the service side of their business.
Locksmith schools are a preferred source of education for both people entering the profession and those that have already been working for some time: rapidly changing technologies have revolutionized locks and safes, just as they have had immense impact on other technological products. Locksmith courses have to be kept current to meet the profession’s needs: professionals who want up to date knowledge need locksmith training from a source that watches what’s new in the field.
Locksmith training can be the foundation of a rewarding and lucrative career. Lock problems are security problems—people need to safeguard their property, their families, their financial resources, their employees, their databases and many other things. Because security is so important, and seemingly becoming more so all the time, people are willing to pay well for trained professionals with credentials from good locksmith schools to install, maintain, repair and replace locks, safes, and combinations.
According to America’s Career InfoNet, locksmiths in the United States can earn more than $50,000 annually, with the highest earners living in the District of Columbia and the northeastern states. As with other professions, professionals who have invested in locksmith courses command the highest earnings. Keep in mind that, because locksmiths are entrusted with people’s security, candidates for locksmith training should be bondable and not have a criminal record.
To find a locksmith training program near you, check out our list of the top online and offline colleges and universities.
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