Torq Zone Academy officially opens its doors

[News bot]

The Torq Zone Academy hit the headlines in August with the announcement of their intention to establish South Africa’s first bicycle technical training facility. The Torq Zone Academy was to offer internationally accredited Cytech™ technical courses exclusively in South Africa.

 

Click here to view the article

[LazyLab]

Fantastic news! We can all do with some basic knowledge and some of the cycle shops will definitely benefit from qualified mechanics.

[burty]

Is there anything like this in Cape Town ?

[Torq Zone Academy]

Is there anything like this in Cape Town ?

We have plans to expand outside Gauteng, but this will not be for a while still. Until that time we recommend that cycle shops outside Gauteng start investing in the training of at least one of their mechanics through our Pretoria site.

[Godzilla]

when one goes onto your TorqZone website and tries to get into ''courses'' nothing happens. The others seem to work but one cannot see what your ''courses'' are all about. Please will you sort that out ?

thanks

[Godzilla]

seems to be fine now. All good.

Thanks

[madmarc]

2 day Home mechanic course R 4 400.00 Huh !!!! that seems very steep, and do they teach you anything more than what you could learn off Google and Youtube.

 

The trade full courses will cost R 61 300.00 for 25 days of training. Is the certification recognized by any goverment taining authority and if so what NQF level will candidates be given by the National Qualifications Board.

 

Does the course fee include tools of the trade, manuals etc or is this just the course fee. 

[SwissVan]

Fantastic idea...I sense a change of career if only i had the ballz to take the chance.

 

Would be interesting to hear the reply to madmarc regarding recognition and qualification after successful completion of all courses

[mrbaker]

2 day Home mechanic course R 4 400.00 Huh !!!! that seems very steep, and do they teach you anything more than what you could learn off Google and Youtube.

 

The trade full courses will cost R 61 300.00 for 25 days of training. Is the certification recognized by any goverment taining authority and if so what NQF level will candidates be given by the National Qualifications Board.

 

Does the course fee include tools of the trade, manuals etc or is this just the course fee.

 

My initial thoughts were fairly similar.

R4400 for a two day course that covers basics that you learn on the trails as you go(except for wheel truing) seems very steep.

Good luck to them- I liked the idea of it but when I looked at the prices it put me right off...

[Guest notmyname]

I don't think many lbs' will be willing to dish out that sort of Tom. Dis n *** huis vol geld!

[awesme]

problem, if guy does basic course and is semi productive, the chances of seeing him again is unlikely, as it is at the moment the interview goes something like, do you know how to do x y z, answer =yes, ok there you go.

 

only way this training will work is if some industry controlling body demands it.

 

G

 

 

My initial thoughts were fairly similar.
R4400 for a two day course that covers basics that you learn on the trails as you go(except for wheel truing) seems very steep.
Good luck to them- I liked the idea of it but when I looked at the prices it put me right off...

[AlanD]

Glad i was not the only one that thought the fees were a little out there. Was interested to learn more about the mechanis but just cannot afford such hefty fees but a great idea though.

[awesme]

Guys for work training this is not allot, well in the professional industries, the rates are easily 25-30k/week.

 

but think for this industry, might be a problem, shops will only maybe spend this on their star workers, to help them get the paper work... but problem is they can't afford those individuals out of the shop for that amount of time. and well to invest that amount of money in a guy that just starting is risky, and the people that will do this for a living, simple won't have that amount of money for a course.

 

 

G

[CAAD4]

Business is tough for a lot of LBS' out there. How many bikes will they have to service and sell to get an ROI? I assume for family run businesses this is a tall ask at over 60k. My 2cw.

[Torq Zone Academy]

Here is some clarity regarding some of the concerns raised in this thread.

 

 

Cytech Technical is a bicycle mechanic training scheme that has been in existence in the UK for 25 years, and is widely regarded as the standard for bicycle mechanic training there. It will be difficult to find a better standard to introduce into the SA industry where, un-arguably, such standards do not exist.

 

 

The concerns regarding costs are gravely overstated. At normal pricing Cytech Technical 1, with the Theory and Practical component costs a maximum of R5 400 (there is a cheaper option of completing the Theory online), Cytech Technical 2 R13 500, and Cytech Technical 3 R11 000, thus totalling R29 900.

 

 

Currently at our Launch Promotion prices it will cost a maximum of, Cytech Technical 1 R3 900, Cytech Technical 2 R9 500, and Cytech Technical R11 000, totalling R24 400. (see http://goo.gl/dfcXzs)

 

 

Not to forget that for already experienced mechanics we offer a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Assessment to Cytech Technical 2 which will cost R10 100 at normal price, but R7 100 for our Launch Promotion. Just keep in mind that such a person would have to complete the Cytech Technical 1 Theory online (£70, roughly R1800) first before being legible for the RPL Assessment.

 

 

The above prices include the Cytech Technical manuals but no tools.

 

 

Currently our training is not NQF aligned purely for the reason that no NQF registered qualification for bicycle mechanics is registered on the NQF, therefore no SETA accreditation can take place. We are rectifying this and have already submitted an application to the QCTO, the authority responsible for qualification development in the trades and occupations sub-framework, to develop a bicycle mechanic National Qualification. This might however still take some time to get done as the QCTO is inundated with applications for the development of qualifications.  

 

 

However, the certificate issued to the learner on completion of the various courses is issued by the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) in the UK who are the owners of Cytech Technical. Cytech is in the process of expanding its footprint and is set to soon become the global standard for bicycle mechanic training. (see http://goo.gl/QtO7jC)

 

 

To the home enthusiasts, yes you can continue learning processes off of Google and YouTube, there is nothing wrong with that. However our Home Mechanic course teaches you the principles or fundamentals of that process.

 

 

Yes the courses may appear to cost a lot, but the return of investment and the benefits of highly competent and capable mechanics to the mechanic themselves, the LBS owner and the consumer should outweigh this.

 

 

Apologies for the long winded response but I hope it has put the misunderstandings right.

[awesme]

Now with the prices listed below, and different options, ye thats more like it.

 

Previous comments here/ye I did not go and read the web site... was not competitive.

 

this is. Good response.

 

G

 

Here is some clarity regarding some of the concerns raised in this thread.

 

 

Cytech Technical is a bicycle mechanic training scheme that has been in existence in the UK for 25 years, and is widely regarded as the standard for bicycle mechanic training there. It will be difficult to find a better standard to introduce into the SA industry where, un-arguably, such standards do not exist.

 

 

The concerns regarding costs are gravely overstated. At normal pricing Cytech Technical 1, with the Theory and Practical component costs a maximum of R5 400 (there is a cheaper option of completing the Theory online), Cytech Technical 2 R13 500, and Cytech Technical 3 R11 000, thus totalling R29 900.

 

 

Currently at our Launch Promotion prices it will cost a maximum of, Cytech Technical 1 R3 900, Cytech Technical 2 R9 500, and Cytech Technical R11 000, totalling R24 400. (see http://goo.gl/dfcXzs)

 

 

Not to forget that for already experienced mechanics we offer a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Assessment to Cytech Technical 2 which will cost R10 100 at normal price, but R7 100 for our Launch Promotion. Just keep in mind that such a person would have to complete the Cytech Technical 1 Theory online (£70, roughly R1800) first before being legible for the RPL Assessment.

 

 

The above prices include the Cytech Technical manuals but no tools.

 

 

Currently our training is not NQF aligned purely for the reason that no NQF registered qualification for bicycle mechanics is registered on the NQF, therefore no SETA accreditation can take place. We are rectifying this and have already submitted an application to the QCTO, the authority responsible for qualification development in the trades and occupations sub-framework, to develop a bicycle mechanic National Qualification. This might however still take some time to get done as the QCTO is inundated with applications for the development of qualifications.  

 

 

However, the certificate issued to the learner on completion of the various courses is issued by the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) in the UK who are the owners of Cytech Technical. Cytech is in the process of expanding its footprint and is set to soon become the global standard for bicycle mechanic training. (see http://goo.gl/QtO7jC)

 

 

To the home enthusiasts, yes you can continue learning processes off of Google and YouTube, there is nothing wrong with that. However our Home Mechanic course teaches you the principles or fundamentals of that process.

 

 

Yes the courses may appear to cost a lot, but the return of investment and the benefits of highly competent and capable mechanics to the mechanic themselves, the LBS owner and the consumer should outweigh this.

 

 

Apologies for the long winded response but I hope it has put the misunderstandings right.