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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Good IT training cannot be cheap

""I also wanted to know I was looking to take a class or certification in PHP I did google it and looked at a few sites, but its either way too expensive or I dont understand exactly what they offer.. does anyone know of a PHP Training course or Certification program?""

I keep my ears and eyes open ... I read forums, and I came upon the quote above.

Classes and certification are very different things - in a class you'll learn, and with a certification you'll pay money, sit a test, and receive documentation that you've reached the standard required by the certifying body which may (or may not) be appropriate for any particular job role ... but that's a side issue in today's blog.

Good training DOES cost. If it's the education of our children, then we might not appreciate the true cost as it's met through taxation - and not just taxation on those who currently have children at school, but on the population as a whole.


Technical IT training (the above forum was relating to PHP) requires the provision of a venue, hardware, software. A tutor. Training notes. A backup team to accept bookings and check that people have selected the correct course for them, to invoice, and (regrettably) to chase late payments. To provide sales and marketing material to ensure that people can find out about the course in the first place. And to keep the training centre clean and tidy and maintained.

The bigger the class, the lower the cost per trainee can be. BUT with a language such as PHP a bigger group means a slower course as it's paced for the weaker trainees. With each trainee having subtley different requirements, and everyone needing individual attention during practicals, the optimum class size is really four or five, and over seven trainees the gain that the trainees make (on a public course) tails off quite dramatically. With a private course, where the trainees may come from a more similar background, will be prepared for you to talk to them in groups during practicals, and will have similar targets the group size will be able to increase and still everyone will get a realistic product / course.

I'm going to suggest that one of the reasons that the original author can't understand what some companies are offering is because they're deliberatly being a bit obscure; they may know that they don't have an ideal product as they're trying to keep down to a price that pulls in a lot more punters.


In our own case, when we survey the market we find we're quoting prices some 25 to 30% lower that other similar courses. We can do this because we don't use middlemen to help us fill our seats (such agents often request / demand from 25% to 40% of the course fees as their cut), because our training centre is located in an area of lower property prices (i.e. NOT London or major city), and because Lisa and I work from home (so don't have to pass on the costs of an extra office building) and are enthusiastic enough to do a lot of the backroom work unpaid in the early morning, evening and at weekends. But if you're looking for a week's course that costs you just the same amount of money that you personally pay each week for your kid's schooling - sure - we're way out of range.




The first picture shows a delgate on one of our courses. The second picture is one that I took while I was actually attending a one-off course, given by one of the Perl Gurus. I included it here to show a large course group (of the size that I consider unsuitable for beginner course), but it does also provide a reminder that the trainer him/her self needs to be trained to a high standard in order to provide an excellent course - and that's another cost for the training company.
(written 2005-11-18, updated 2010-06-20)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
G203 - Well House Consultants - Training course prices
  [101] Good value, low cost, cheap. - (2004-10-27)
  [163] Introduction fees, bonuses, commissions, kickbacks - (2004-12-29)
  [295] Pricing strategy - simple and fair - (2005-04-29)
  [1492] Well House Consultants Training and Hotel - 2008 news - (2008-01-01)
  [1912] Book now for 2009 - (2008-11-29)
  [2003] Discount Training Courses - PHP, Perl, Python - (2009-01-21)
  [2311] Floor to ceiling - (2009-07-30)
  [2541] VAT Changes - (2009-12-19)
  [2560] Training comparison to QA Training, Learning Tree, GB Direct. - (2010-01-02)
  [3107] Hotel and Training Course prices - the effect of the VAT rise on 4th January 2011 - (2010-12-26)
  [3196] No news is good news. - (2011-03-07)
  [4082] Training around the world - easy payment in pounds Sterling - (2013-05-10)
  [4230] Well House Consultants - course prices for 2014 - (2013-12-26)
  [4246] Python, PHP, Ruby, C, Lua, etc ... course prices held for the rest of 2014 - (2014-03-08)
  [4379] Well House Consultants / Well House Manor - Prices for 2015 - (2015-01-01)
  [4416] Challenging the IT course business model - (2015-02-05)
  [4602] Training course and hotel room prices - 2016 - (2015-12-31)


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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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