As some of you may know, in 2010 the construction training provider Access 2 Trade Careers went into administration. Fortunately we stepped in and allowed the students who’d enrolled using Barclays Finance to continue their training with us.

These people are now OLCI students just as much as everyone else who enrols – all enjoying the same great benefits: the opportunity to train in one of our nationwide centres, the theory training that fits around your job and family commitments and the support of experienced and professional tutors.

Over the past few months, more than 1,300 former Access 2 Trade Careers students have been training hard at OLCI and are now getting qualified in their particular trades. Read more »

Looking back it’s been another successful year for our students and OLCI. Here are a few reasons why it was so special…

Student experiences

Many inspirational student stories have been shared through our newsletter. We appreciate this is just a small selection of the students who have gone on to qualify and is testimony to their effort and determination to succeed. Well done to you all!

We’re the UK’s No.1 construction training provider!

Our 13 training centres mean you’re getting the widest choice by far for your practical training. You can still enjoy flexible training to prepare you for assessments in industry recognised qualifications and continue receiving our expert practical training from experienced tutors. Read more »

The next time you attend a practical workshop at OLCI, take a look around: you may be training alongside a professional footballer! One such player who knows the importance of getting a trade is midfi elder Simon Whaley. Simon has so far made 275 league appearances for teams such as Bury, Preston North End and Norwich, in a professional football career spanning eight seasons. Read more »

Here are some examples of companies who offer our students work placements/experience, some of which could lead to full time employment. Successful students get a first class opportunity to showcase their skills and personality, whilst gaining valuable work experience with a top company. If any of these roles are of interest, please email your CV to annette@olci.info, indicating which opportunity you would prefer.

EPS Maintenance
EPS specialise in maintenance, refurbishments and new installations and require plumbers, electricians and gas engineers to work on contracts across North London. Students interested should have a minimum City & Guilds Level 2 in either plumbing (6129) or electrical (2330), or be working towards their gas qualification. It would also be preferable if you had some practical experience too.

Those interested are required to email their CV to annette@olci.info.

Read more »

We believe that seeing what fellow OLCI students have achieved with their qualifications can really help motivate everyone. With that in mind, we would like to share with you a recent success story from one of our students, Alan Van Kleef:

A former musician, Alan used to own a recording studio where he worked as a Sound Engineer for over 10 yrs. As business slowed, he decided to retrain so he could set up his own company in a new industry. It was then that Alan decided to train with us.

Since completing our Become a Fully Qualified Electrician course, Alan has set up his own business, AV Electrics, which he has been successfully running for the past 2 years. He has since also registered with NIC as a Domestic Installer. Alan has built a healthy client base in London and, in addition to carrying out domestic work, he has also completed many commercial projects.

His advice to other students is to work hard and be as committed as possible, and giving a high quality service to customers in order to generate positive word of mouth. Read more »