Setting up a training centre: things we're asked the most
Posted on 1st April 2022 at 09:00
There’s a lot to consider when you want to set up a training centre! Here at The EMG we want to make sure you have all the information you need before you decide to go ahead with your plans. If you haven’t already, have a look at some of our other blog posts:
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we get asked by business owners looking to set their organisation up as a training centre.
How much will it cost?
Packages are available to suit your budget. Our basic Centre Set Up package costs £2000 and you can add elements to suit your requirements. We’re always flexible and will never include services you don’t need in your package.
Do I need premises?
It depends what courses you want to deliver and how you want to structure those courses. For example, if you’re likely to deliver mainly distance learning courses or courses via Zoom then no, you may not need to have specific premises to set up your training centre. If you’re delivering classroom courses to people very regularly in the same location, then you can choose to buy or rent a training room. If you’re delivering in multiple locations with different cohorts on an ad hoc basis then hiring a room when you need one might work out better financially. That’s what we do at The EMG: we work from our homes then hire premises for delivery when we need them!
Can I get funding?
You might be able to, yes. There are often pots of funding available for businesses with good ideas! However, often funders will want you to have your business set up as a training centre before they will consider funding things that relate to your training centre. You will need to have some funds in place yourself before we start the process as our fees are payable up front. Your chosen awarding body will also want registration fees up front and these can be anything from a few hundred pounds to a couple of thousand.
How long will it take?
This is really difficult to answer because every business is different. Before we actually get to know you, we can’t give you a specific period of time. It is never an overnight process and it can take from several weeks to many months.
Some factors that affect the time it will take you to set up your training centre include:
Whether you already hold your teaching and assessing qualifications (you’ll need the Award in Education and Training and Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement: some form of adult teaching qualification)
Whether you have the staff in place that you need
Whether you want to deliver accredited or non-accredited courses
Whether you have resources written already
Whether you are going to write your own resources or if you want us to write them for you
Whether you are busy in your day to day job or whether you are dedicating your full time to your centre set up
Whether you have all your finances in place
What exactly will you be doing for me?
The EMG will do whatever it takes to get your centre up and running. Sometimes the things you’ll need won’t be the things we originally agreed because something may come up that we hadn’t expected or because the awarding body you’ve chosen have had a change in requirements or some other surprise situation like a change in personnel at your organisation! But we’re designed to be flexible: we try not to be too prescriptive at the start because we want to adapt to the needs of your business and your centre. We’ve done this lots of times for many different types of organisation and they really are all different! The process requires patience and trust on both sides: we will get the job done as long it’s possible to do so.
Can you advise me on the best structure for my business e.g. Limited Company, Sole Trader etc?
No. We would suggest that you speak to a qualified accountant who will be able to advise you on the best set up for your training business.
Can you offer me any free advice?
There is a lot of free advice here on our website. They're all linked at the start of this blog!
Can we have a chat on Zoom before we commit?
Yes: we understand that you are making a large financial and professional commitment and may want to chat with us on Zoom or on the phone before agreeing to work with us! However, please note that we cannot free advice about your centre set-up in that meeting. All consultancy is chargeable. We can, however, answer any questions you have about working with us and about whether centre set-up is suitable for your business. We ask that, before you book this, you have read all the advice on our website and come to the call with a list of questions you would like answering. Please also ensure that you’ve answered this application form before booking your call, so that we can give you the most effective help.
What qualifications will I need?
Most awarding bodies will want you to have the Level 3 Award in Education and Training and the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement. You are also likely to need significant occupational competence or a qualification in your area of specialism. Usually an awarding body wants you to have a qualification at least one level higher than the one you want to teach. So if you want to teach Level 2 Catering, you’ll need to hold at least Level 3 Catering.
Will I need an Internal Quality Assurer (IQA)?
You might! Again this depends on the awarding body you choose. The EMG offers an IQA matching service and this can be included in your centre set-up package.
How many people will I need to set up my centre?
We would advise you to have at least two teachers and assessors at your centre as this really gives you some flexibility. You can make it work with one but it could be harder. As stated, you may need an IQA too.
How much money will I make?
Well that is impossible to say! There are many things to consider such as group size, resources you’ll need, premises, awarding body fees and whether you want to pitch your courses as low cost to get higher numbers or whether you want to charge more for a better service and see fewer learners. We can advise you on this once we start working with you but can’t guess in advance how much you’ll make. It’s what you make it!
Ready to talk to us? Please complete this application form, which tells us more about you and what you’re looking to do. We look forward to working with you soon!
Tagged as: become a training centre, how do I set up a training centre, Set up as a training centre; training; assessing;, Training centre set up
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