Reagan Ng's family has a history of locksmithing, so it was natural for him to want to enter the field too. Reagan says NMIT's Certificate III in Locksmithing is giving him a good overview of the industry and the skills he needs for his part-time work at Amalgamated Locksmiths.
Both Reagan Ng's father and grandfather were locksmiths, but it is not just family tradition that has brought Reagan to the career.
"It is my own interest too," he says. Reagan came to Australia from Malaysia to work and study Locksmithing at NMIT and he is enjoying the experience. "I believe that NMIT is the best institute that offers locksmithing."
Reagan is currently enrolled in the NMIT Certificate III in Locksmithing for non-industry and international students and is learning all the necessary knowledge and skills to work as a locksmith.
Taught at the Heidelberg campus, the Locksmithing program at NMIT trains students to meet industry standards, focusing on new technology and methods. Areas of study in the NMIT Certificate III in Locksmithing include engineering measurements, key production and automotive locking systems.
Reagan says the course provides a good overview of the locksmithing industry and covers a wide variety of subject matter and skills. "We don't just open locks, we fit locks and we maintain and service them."
He has found the teachers to be very helpful. "They're friendly but they're strict on workmanship. Everything we do has to meet a certain standard."
The skills and expertise Reagan has acquired during the course have directly helped him in his workplace. "We make tools in class that I use when I'm working. It has been very useful."
"I'm currently working part-time at Amalgamated Locksmiths in Collingwood, which is really good. There are lots of interesting people there. After I finish all my studying maybe I'll continue working for the same company again."
Reagan enjoys the interesting places and the behind-the-scenes work the course and his job have allowed him to experience. "You get to see things that normal people don't see, like when you're working on the security in a bank. It's really interesting."
Reagan is now enrolling in the NMIT Diploma of Engineering Technology in the Security Technology (Locksmithing) stream.