fita training and Q+A card. Is it a scam?

we'll lighten the load matey

 

That's fine I have no problem paying to redo it as most of my work is site work so will slowly make the money back, I have no idea where it was done through I was 17 at the time and was just told a bloke was coming on whatever day then eventually a card came through the post, the old company I did it with don't have any details apart from the assossors name so looks like I'll be writing you a cheque in near future

 

sorry , well great site Mat.

Its gone 2am where i am at the moment so calling it a night. This site has kept me up way past my bedtime. Thankyou for the hospitality. Friendly Bunch.

 

As much as I would like to give you my Money I'll put it on hold then as I don't need it this minute
And can get away with waiting as the main builder only cares about the number not what it on the back

 

Can you confirm it’s this place you’re talking about http://www.fita.co.uk/

These are part of CFA and NICF, I can’t believe for one moment that they would "scam" people out of a false qualification.
I quote from their website

The FITA QA Card
Many professional trades are covered by industry standards to ensure that work is completed safely and to a high standard.
For gas fitters there is the Gas Safe register and for electricians there is the NICEIC.
Now FITA, the Flooring Industry Training Association, has joined together with leading manufacturers to develop the flooring industry equivalent of an endorsed accreditation, the FITA Commercial Quality Flooring Accreditation.
Clients demand that professionals are both qualified and assessed on a regular basis to keep their skills level high.
The FITA QA Card goes beyond NVQ and CSCS cards contributing towards continual professional development (CPD).
Working in commercial environments is demanding and conditions are often less than perfect, keeping up to date with new techniques, materials and tools is imperative.


Correct me if I’m wrong but they clearly state that the QA card is above the NVQ. The NVQ is a government qualification so I read that as it’s a higher qualification? I sure hope so as the company I sub contract to has told us we need to the QA qualification and some of the lads have already been to get qualified.
Also the cost of it works out at £1260 if you take all 6 tests which you have to retake every 5 years. Talk about get rich quick

 

yes that is the website. They actually say its better than NVQ and CSCS.

 

I was made to go on the Fita course for vinyl and carpet by one of the big flooring companies havent paid the bill at the moment been told that if i dont pay i get no more work, im having to pay 312 quid , i was under the impression that it was a qualification they didnt say anything to me to stating it wasnt!

 

Sounds a bit mis leading to me, I've never looked in to getting a qualification unless I've been asked for it. No ones ever asked me for anything other than Cscs and nvq. If you've been told you need it by the people your working for and now you find you don't I would go back to them and ask why? Is it for their own promotion?

 

If it becomes a problem they should state on thier site its not a qualification recognised by....... who ever says you have to have Cscs/nvq to get on site? Who does set these standards for on site qualifications?

 

There were 2 courses both 1 day each domestic vinyl and the other domestic carpet it were done at there Fita training course.
The carpet course that i had to do really were for the beginners to the trade we ran through the basics of how to put gripper, ulay, doorplates down how to seam up correctly fit stairs correctly and streach carpet with enough tension etc. the instructor were sound and did his job well i learnt a few tricks on that course but even he said it were more for the newbys to the trade and most of the people he teaches are new to the trade, if it were me personly i would have just liked to be shown how to sew joins and stitch a bullnose or maybe done some other advanced carpet course.

the domestic vinyl course were a let down from my point we basicaly we were shown how to line up a vinyl, cut with a vinyl trimmer and cold weld a join, great if you are a newby but not for the more experienced fitters, the guys on the course could have done both in one day.

most of the vinyl course ive covered on a polyflor course 4 years before but i still had to do the coures or i couldnt fit vinyl for the company i work.

 

Sort of understand now I think? Basically these companies have decided there fitters have to have Fita training or a Q+A card to work for them. If you want the work from them you have to get it! Its a bit like my local shop saying I have to be a Nicf approved fitter to work for them and me then expecting to get on site with that? Yay, nay?

 

Maybe the company i work for should have had me doing a NVQ first of all and if it turned out that i needed extra training then go on the right FITA course for me, advanced or beginner, im not against learning new things but if youve had 2 days off work and the travelling costs especially with it not being busy for alot of people, then to find out that you are going over things you allready know its a waste of time and money and then you find out it doesnt really merit anything then it starts to annoy you! :x
I feel sorry for the bloke that stared the thread, shelled out over a grand for him then to go to work and be refused.

 

do you think your company would still put people through the training if they had to pay for it themselves? Why do they want thier fitters to go and pay for these courses?

 

The company i work for is a big national one if they had to pay it would be a no straight away, when i was on the course the instructor said they wanted the workers in the shop to go on a course to understand about floor moisture, prep etc but the company didnt want to. funny that!
My shop hasnt even got a estimator we sometimes have to borrow one from their sister company , most of my work comes off customers own sizes hsl have no plan so im cutting up on site, doesnt look profesional i can tell you!