SEI's Checklist to help you choose the right BER training provider

Chevron Training doesn’t claim to offer the cheapest BER Training courses, for several important reasons. Instead, we focus on offering you the Best BER training courses on the market.

Reinforcing our students come first approach, we believe it's far easier to explain price once than to apologise for poor quality and service forever.

Customers Agree

It's a well researched and proven fact that educated consumers don’t base their decision on price alone, but opt to consider full range of benefits available.

Energy Training is no different, Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) the regulator in the energy market, offer important and highly valuable advice to candidates when choosing a suitable training provider.

Making an informed decision

We have outlined SEI's beneficial advice here in blue text for your convenience, to help you make an informed decision:

SEI advise:

Candidates for training as BER Assessors are recommended to consider the following criteria carefully before selecting a training provider:

Course Duration:

Look at the training providers elapsed time from commencement to completion of the course, the number of contact days provided and the number of learning hours involved in taking the course. These figures vary significantly from one provider to another.

Elapsed Time: Elapsed time is the number of days from first to last lecture (not including examination).

Contact Time: Contact time is the number of days/ hours that the student will attend the course. ‘Learning hours’ is the number of hours that the provider expects learners to devote to the course including home study and direct contact learning but excluding examination time.

You should note in particular that the BER course specification, designed by SEI, has clearly indicated there are 130 individual learning outcomes that students must be taught during the BER Assessor course.

This point alone is one of the fundamental reasons Chevron Training delivers this very detailed course content over 6 consecutive days, covering all aspects of the course specification and learner outcomes in the greatest of detail. This greatly assists students in a more steady and methodical learning process, ensuring the best foundation in preparation for the exam.

We focus our efforts in real-time in our intensive classroom environment, unlike other providers who direct students to study and review specific learner outcomes and material in their own time.

What's more, the benefits of delivering the BER Assessor Course in our optimum skill-transfer format are reinforced for Chevron's students, by providing the opportunity to ask questions as we progress through each module throughout the week.

Chevron Training is extremely proud to offer the most comprehensive BER Course in the market.

Trainers:

The experience and subject knowledge of the trainers may vary from one provider to another. Candidates are recommended to carefully evaluate the information given about the qualifications and experience of the trainers. Trainers are requested to provide a brief statement of the qualifications, teaching experience and energy/ building/ construction experience of the trainers.

At Chevron Training we pride ourselves in employing the best trainers in the industry to deliver courses to you. By investing heavily in our people we can guarantee student satisfaction. All of our trainers are highly qualified professionals, holding at least an Honours degree in an Engineering related discipline along with holding a FAS train the trainer qualification. We require that all trainers have a minimum of 3 years experience in a training role such as at a third level institution, and all trainers must have obtained a mark of over 90% in the overall BER examination.

In addition Chevron's registered trainers are Members of Professional Industry Associations, have been involved in energy Research projects in the past and have played an integral part in all course development work within Chevron Training. Our company ethos is to encourage all trainers to undertake Continuing Education and we invest heavily in this. This guarantees you an unrivalled level of quality training. They are not only experts in the BER sector but also have a passion for energy and its conservation and keep abreast of all relevant market and regulatory changes.

Admissions Policy:

Candidates should take care to select a course that meets their specific needs. The training providers have designed their courses for different target groups. Candidates with high levels of prior training and experience may find it appropriate to attend a course designed for more qualified persons. Less qualified or experienced candidates will maximise their chances of success by attending a course that has been designed for persons with less prior experience and training. The course specification requires that candidates should have an appropriate construction related qualification, at least at National Certificate Level 6, Advanced Certificate or Higher Certificate in construction studies or other relevant discipline or equivalent.

As the BER Course attracts a diverse range of occupations from the construction and engineering sector, Chevron Training BER course material has been very deliberately developed to suit the wide and varied needs of such participants. We have designed our course modules from basic principles which provide candidates, for example from architectural backgrounds, with knowledge on heating systems. Similarly students with heating and plumbing backgrounds are given an extra insight into u value knowledge etc. Tailored to your specific needs, this ensures that the Chevron Training BER Course is the most comprehensive course on the market.

Examination Policy:

Candidates are required to undertake four assignments (50% of total marks), a short question examination (10% of marks) and a practical examination (40% of total marks). Candidates are required to achieve an overall score of 70% for registration as a BER assessor. Candidates are recommended to satisfy themselves that the training provider has the capacity to deliver a course that will achieve these results. Trainers were asked to provide a statement of how the examinations are structured, when they take place, and the institution’s policy in respect of repeats.

“Chevron Training has trained over 80% of all trained BER Assessors in Ireland”

We are the most experienced energy training provider without exception. As a dedicated energy training company a formidable team of engineers from construction, building services, architectural and mechanical backgrounds. Our success is largely due to our hard-earned reputation for thoroughness and attention in assisting our students in every aspect. Our core focus is on delivering the best BER course to all students, along with providing whatever support students require in order to have a clear understanding of the overall concept and ability to take on any BER assessment with confidence.

For your convenience, our exam centres are located in all 26 counties unlike any other training provider. We have exams scheduled in Cork and Dublin monthly and bi-monthly in all other counties. Our examinations are structured in accordance with strict FETAC guidelines and their designated time limits. With regard to exam repeats, we offer students the opportunity to re-attend any part of a BER course in any location across the country free of charge, the only cost incurred is €100 administration fee to re-sit the examination.

Training Materials:

Programme material should cover the learning outcomes stated in the ‘Specification for BER Assessor Training Programmes for BER of New Dwellings’ in sufficient detail to ensure that learners thoroughly understand the theory behind each element of the DEAP calculation, and to enable them to understand and apply the rules stated in the DEAP manual to correctly calculate BERs for a range of dwellings of varying complexity. Trainers are requested to provide a description of the materials provided to the learners.

Chevron Training realise that the quality of course materials are as important as the trainer delivering the course, that is why we work with industry experts in both areas. Our process for developing the BER Course is simple. We employ highly qualified industry academics to develop our course notes and reference materials, and case study examples, have them reviewed by an independent body, include all recommendations and sign off on the final documentation.

In developing our course materials we worked through each learning outcome in the module descriptor one by one designing comprehensive explanations in all required areas. All course notes were developed from first principles in relation to all learning outcomes. We also developed comprehensive course notes based on simplifying the Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure manual to basic theories. As part of our student pack we supply all students with the SEI DEAP Manual, home study manual, Building Regulations 2008, case study examples of 6 house types and full workings, u value calculator, Official SEI DEAP Software, all Irish and EU legislation.

After Care:

The support provided to learners by the trainers after they have completed their course may be important to some learners. Trainers are requested to describe how they support learners upon completion of the course.

Our student support is unmatched. At Chevron Training we are committed to the ongoing needs of our students and provide the following support structures to assist students following course completion:

• 24 hour guaranteed turnaround email response to technical queries by emailing support@chevrontraining.ie

• Lo-call 1890 252 647 manned by a technical expert from 9am to 9pm, Monday to Sunday

• DEAP Software Support team to assist with any query you have in relation to software operation and configuration

• Free Revision Course offered to all students where you can revisit a classroom course in any location across the country at any time

• Free monthly e-newsletter containing up-to-date regulatory & technical information

• Coming Soon: Free dedicated online forum for student to student discussion with over 3000 technical BER questions already answered by a qualified expert

• Non conflict of business interest guarantee: We are fully committed to student learning. By focusing 100% on training you to become a BER Assessor, and by not directly competing with you by running our own BER Assessment service, you can be guaranteed your individual success is of paramount importance to us. We pride ourselves on providing you with as much transparent information as possible about the BER industry and vital market opportunities. We provide 'you' with ideas on how to develop an energy assessment rating business, while we focus on our business of training.
  
  

• As a dedicated Energy Training company we are fully immersed and up-to-speed with Energy Industry related information and legislation.

“Chevron Training truly is the premium choice for your BER Training requirements”

Don't make the mistake of choosing a training provider based solely on price, special offers, summer sales and cheap promotions. This could result in risk for you, with the possibility of having to repeat a second time with a reputable premium provider such as Chevron Training.

Don’t take any chances, and don't just take our word for it.

“I have seen and heard many tutors at work but Nick was top of the list.
My God did he know his subject matter”
Patrick O'Connell, Work Placement Manager - University College Cork