Formal Qualifications in Fibre Optics, Copper and Laser Safety

Many of our more popular optical fibre and copper cabling training courses now have qualifications or awards from licensed awarding bodies. These courses are currently listed under the appropriate awarding body below.

Lucid’s Open Awards (formerly OCN, Open College Network) Certified Laser Safety award is believed to be the first laser safety qualification from a licensed awarding body in the UK, as well as worldwide. We are proud to have been instrumental in bringing formal laser safety qualifications to our clients and the laser industry as a whole. For thos who wish to take laser safety further we also offer several more advanced courses in laser safety calculations.

Lucid also offer courses in LED safety; again we believe these are the first and so far only courses available worldwide.

City & Guilds 3667 – Level 2 Certificate in Communications Cabling

The City and Guilds 3668 programme (previously 3466, 3666 and 3667) is the industry standard qualification in the UK and several other countries around the world. The programme has four units:

Unit 1: Basic principles of communications systems
unit 2: Fibre Optic Cabling (internal and external)
unit 3: Structured Cabling and Enterprise Networks (copper datacoms)
unit 4: Air Blown Fibre

To gain the full “certificate in communications cabling” candidates must pass the ‘core’ unit 1, plus one of units 2, 3 or 4. Candidates will also receive a Certificate of Unit Credit for each unit they complete.

Open Awards Certified Qualifications:

Level 3 Award in Fibre Optics Installation and Testing
Level 3 Award in Copper Datacoms cable Installation and Testing
Level 3 Award in Advanced OTDR Testing
Level 3 Award in Advanced Polarisation Mode Dispersion (PMD) & Chromatic Dispersion Testing
Level 3 Award in Advanced Copper Telecoms Cable Testing
Level 3 Award in Advanced Fibre Networks Technology
Level 3 Award in Optical Fibre and Cable Blowing
Level 3 Award in Optical Network Design and Planning
Level 3 Certificate in Communications Networks
Distribution Side Copper Cable Jointing (Level 2)
Level 3 Award in Laser Safety

The Open Awards (previously Open College Network North West Region, OCNNWR) is a licensed awarding body that operates at the national level within the UK. Lucid are members of the Open Awards, and as an approved qualification provider we are inspected annually by an External Verifier from Open Awards. The flexible nature of the Open Awards and their methods of operation, enable us at Lucid to develop new awards quickly and at a reasonable cost, even when highly specialised. This can enable the practices and skills used in your business to be recognised as a formal qualification, even if these skills are not applicable to a huge group of people.

Please contact us if you would like Lucid to develop a training programme with appropriate Open Awards certification for your job function, organisation or business.

Note: Guided learning hours provide an indication of the number of hours of learning required for an average trainee. In some cases training courses will be longer than the indicated number of guided learning hours, and in some cases they may be slightly shorter.

Learning Hours and Accreditation for Prior Learning (APL)

For both the Open Awards and City & Guilds, the exact number of actual learning hours are not important since the emphasis is on ensuring that the learner or trainee has met the required learning or skills outcomes. For learners who have previously completed suitable training or who have suitable experience, it is possible, in some circumstances, to just complete the required assessments. The duration of assessments varies depending on the practical skills and tests to be completed.

In cases where prior learning is deemed appropriate to sitting assessments without going through a full training programme, a short refresher training session is highly recommended. We are happy to discuss this option with you.

FIA Approved Training Provider Status

Lucid is not only a member of the Fibreoptic Industry Association, but we are also an FIA Approved Training Provider and a supporter of the FIAs innovative qualification scheme for those working in the fibreoptics and communication cabling industry.