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Beware Training Course Scams, Citizens Advice Warns Jobless

As job losses soar, and those claiming out-of-work benefits are under pressure to take more active steps to find work, Citizens Advice is warning people to take care with training courses.

The national problem-solving charity says its network of Citizens Advice Bureaux are reporting cases of people falling victim to scams involving adverts for courses that promise marketable qualifications but fail to deliver the goods, leaving prospective students seriously out of pocket.

The advertising often targets people who are out of work or trying to improve their job prospects.  In some cases mis-selling is involved. In others the college doesn't exist, or goes bust, or the course fails to materialise.

In one case seen by a CAB, an unemployed man was charged £175 for a short course leading to a security industry licence. Having paid his money and attended the course, the promised certificate failed to materialised and the company, which had his bank account details, could no longer be contacted.

In another case a man had taken out a costly career development loan to finance an IT course with the promise of a permanent job at the end of it, only to find the course was of dubious quality and the company was then wound up, leaving him still out of work and in debt.

Other types of courses where problems have been reported include ones promising qualifications in plumbing, bricklaying, health and social care, and as a driving instructor.

Citizens Advice Consumer Affairs Policy Officer Susan Marks said:

"If you're looking for work it's always a good idea to consider improving your job prospects through skills training.  But you need to be aware that not all training courses deliver on their promises.  Some are little more than scams and can leave you out of pocket and no better qualified than when you started.

"Citizens Advice Bureaux have seen cases where people have paid course fees only to discover the college doesn't exist, or goes bust, or can't be contacted.  In other cases the course or the qualifications promised fail to materialise. So it pays to do your homework before deciding.

"These scams are particularly despicable in the current economic climate when so many people are being made redundant and are desperate to carve out a new career. They prey on the natural desire of people in this situation to strive to improve their job prospects when competition is fierce."

The words of caution come during Scams Awareness Month, run by the Office of Fair Trading to alert people to common scams costing the British public a total of £3.5 billion a year.

Citizens Advice has come up with a set of top tips to help people work out whether the course they are thinking of applying for is really as good as it looks.

• Regardless of where you see an ad  you  need to check it out for yourself. Remember, official agencies can't vouch for courses you see advertised on their premises.

• Make sure you check the course is suitable and check the company or organisation offering it is bona fide before spending any money. Ask to see sample course materials, request references from satisfied students, and if a qualification is the selling point, check the course is accredited with the relevant body.

• Find out as much as you can about the course provider and make sure you have basic information like their address and landline phone number - check these are genuine before you go any further.

• Check up on their promises and don't sign up for a course on the spur of the moment. Read any contract carefully and insist on time to think about it before signing anything or handing over money.

• Check written details of the cost of the course and your cancellation rights.

• If in doubt, get advice quickly as any cancellation rights will have a time limit.  

For information about the nearest Citizen's Advice Bureau, click here.

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