locksmithing is a traditional trade and in most countries requires completion of an apprenticeship the level of formal education required varies from country to country from a simple training certificate awarded by an employer to a full diploma from an engineering college locksmiths may be commercial working out of a storefront mobile working out of a vehicle institutional or investigational forensic locksmiths they may specialize in one aspect of the skill such as an automotive lock specialist a master key system specialist or a safe technician many also act as security consultants but not all security consultants have the skills and knowledge of a locksmith