The Penn Foster Locksmithing Program consists of six instruction sets. The purpose of these units is to prepare you for a locksmithing career. Topics include: key identification, lock mechanisms, residential locks, key making, home and business security, panic hardware, electric locks and electronic security.
The goal of Assured Locksmith Training is to teach you both the mechanics of locksmithing and the business part of the trade. According to the school's website, the course material includes such topics as "Key Blank Identification," "Different Types of Locks," and "Knobs and Lever Functions," as well as "Planning Your Business," "Day to Day Operations" and "Customer Service."
The program consists of six sections. You may choose to receive the whole program at once, or you may ask the school to mail you the six sections separately; you pay for the next section only when you are ready to proceed.
The Foley Belsaw program consists of six units, or SkillPaks. Each SkillPak has five sections. You can send the test answer sheets and/or lesson cards in upon completion. Once the teacher corrects it, the company will mail you the next SkillPak. The course also comes with a set of locksmithing tools and a key machine.
At the Locksmith Video School, you have two courses from which to choose: the Course Only and the Course with Tools. While the kit for the Course Only option does not include tools, it does come with CD training sessions. You also receive the Master Keying chart, the test for the certificate and the industry supply and tool lists.
In the Course With Tools, you receive 10 sessions on DVD, as well as manuals, tests and a set of tools. In addition, the Advanced Locksmithing course contains a step-by-step guide to starting and running your own business. The workbook contains a locksmithing exam at the end. Complete the test and return it. The instructor will grade it, the school will mail you the results, the original workbook and your certificate.