Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2009-06-07 20:38:24 - Graham Ellis
In answer to an email asking about alternative PHP courses ...
I'm the tutor of our PHP courses, and I also keep a keen eye open on the options. Occasionally, I do a 'competitive survey' and compare what we have to offer in terms of prices and facilities to other people offering training in the subject; it has been quite a while since I last did this, and your email triggered me to have a quick look around online at what's currently on offer. I came up with the following - looking at our 4 day course (which from your emails so far is the most likely one to be right for you) and finding in each other supplier's case the closest alternative.
Well House Consultants, Melksham - 4 day, 1100 pounds
iBuildings, London - 4 day, 1295 pounds
ForLinux, Newark - 4 day, 1200 pounds
GB Training, Bradford or London - 4 day, 1375 pounds
HOTT, various venues, - 4 day, 1095 pounds
London School of Computer Education - 30 hours, 750 pounds
City University, 20 hours, 350 pounds
Learning Tree, London - 2 day, 1125 pounds
Bromley College, Bromley, Kent - 1 day, 100 pounds
Pale Purple, Nr Birmingham - 1 day, 250 pounds
Credativ, Rugby - duration / price not quoted
Now ... those are LIST prices, and almost every training outfit will offer you discounts in some circumstances - we'll reduce the cost of the second and subsequent delegate on a course by 100 pounds, for example, and others have much deeper discounts - foe example, Learning Tree will sell you 6 places on 2 or 3 day courses for 4900 pounds, so you're looking at reducing their 1125 pound 2 day course to 816 pounds.
Most training providers reserve the right to cancel courses if they don't have enough confirmed bookings, and others schedule their courses "on demand" to try to alleviate the problem of thin, profitless courses. Two companies above - ourselves and HOTT guarantee that they'll run the course for you to a schedule, at the price quoted and undelayed. Our courses always run in Melksham, theirs in 9 centres from Bristol to Belfast and Edinburgh, and they schedule them on the same date in every place. So you may find you book Bristol, but have to attend in London, or Norwich ...
Courses of 2 days and less worry me. I don't see that there is enough time for practical exercises and in depth coverage of all the topics needed - I fear that too many delegates will be lost too quickly. If you're very bright and used to quick learning, staying overnight near the course venue to brush up, they may work well for you. And in one day, I don't think you'll get more than an introduction unless the pre-requisite list is "must be a genius". To be fare to Pale Purple, they do a whole series of separate and different 1 day courses and can probably advise which ones (plural) you would need to learn the whole subject.
The City University and London School of Computer Education courses are both 10 sessions spread over a number of weeks - evening courses or afternoon courses, which look like a very good idea if you work in London (perhaps you commute?), and The City University looks to be good value.
I can (of course ;-)) recommend our own Well House Consultants courses which in fact are just about the lowest priced of the commercial offerings, especially when you consider travel costs to other venues if you live in the South West. And my own degree comes from City University, who certainly 'did me proud' so I would recommend them.
Books and online training are other alternatives for you - I don't know which (if either) you personally find effective. We have a very large selection indeed of PHP books at our Melksham Training centre and you would be welcome to visit one evening, spend an hour or two discussing your needs, have a coffee, browse the library. And we would make no charge for that evening - I really like to help people work out what they need (do check dates with me - I sometimes have other evening meetings and often train on site)