www.icslearn.co.uk any experience with?

[chryslerben]

Hi folks

Looking at doing a course in electronic engineering and this company came up as an option has anybody had an experience of using this company? Are they worth paying the money to do or is it thanks for the cash here's your certificate types ie not really seen to hold much weight with employers?

Cheers cb

[wolf1]

If it's the same ics correspondance course company that was around in the 80's/90's then where will you be gaining your practical experiance?

[chryslerben]

This is the problem I'm finding at the moment unless I can chip in over 2 grand in fees a term and take every Monday off, then the part time course at the local uni is no good otherwise I can only find courses at a place in london.

I'm very hands on though with my own workshop space to physically practice what their teaching.

I was really wondering if anyone on ph has dealt with them?

[marksx]

I'm doing the mechanical engineering course with them now.

As you say, the only viable alternative for financial and time constraints.

I can give you my opinion on the course and company, but not on how employers view the qualification.

[chryslerben]

marksx said:

I'm doing the mechanical engineering course with them now.

As you say, the only viable alternative for financial and time constraints.

I can give you my opinion on the course and company, but not on how employers view the qualification.

Hi mark,thanks for the reply your probably on the same boat as me where you need to upskill bit money and tome are restricted especially time in my case. How are you getting on with the course? does it cover all you feel it should? Is there sufficient support to help you progress through? Sorry about all the questions but I'm struggling to fins independant opinions on the provider at the minute.

[marksx]

Sorry for the late reply.

The course material consisted of 2 thick ring binders, a book and some reference material.

The material is OK, some parts of it aren't very well explained, and some of the mathematical formulae are wrong! Be it typos or just wrong numbers altogether. You have to do a lot of reading online, books etc to fill the gaps, which I suppose is no bad thing.

I may have been unlucky but my experience of the tutor support has been bad.

I didn't seek any assistance through the first section and assessment. I submitted the assessment and had it returned a week later. I failed as I had a couple of questions wrong (you need 100% to pass this particular unit). A few of them I accepted, but one question I was sure I was right and the tutor was wrong.

I emailed to ask for clarification, 10 days alter I got a reply from the tutor saying he didn't have a copy of my questions, I replied, but got no reply. Over a period of 8 weeks, I got no reply and queried this with student services. They stated the tutor was having family problems 'but should still answer emails' (he didn't) and that he would be back soon.

Another 8 weeks went by, after several calls and more emails they finally told me they had sacked the tutor and I should re submit my assignment. Lo and behold I was right all along!

To be fair to the student services, every time I have complained they have extended my course to make up for lost time as it is supposed to be a 12 month course.

Now there is a new tutor though, all the assessments have been changed, just to complicate things further!

[chryslerben]

hhhmmmm sounds just like being back at school lol so would you say the experience you had so far has been down to a poor tutor? did you flag the inconsistences in the course materials with student services just wondering if their active in keeping materials upto date? I think I will probably start myself on the course as my options are limited. thanks again.