City and Guilds qualifications are recognised as professional technical qualifications, but I don't know what the level of Part 3 would be in this case. Generally this level ensures a good degree of professional competence, but courses can vary widely in terms of the available equipment you can play with -remember this is the level of the qualification, not necessarily the course. Over here (in Ireland), one training centre has a lovely Neve desk, but the course is around 4000 euro if I remember correctly. I think playing with loads of decent mics and other equipment would be of greater benefit than the qualification itself, as way too many people have done these courses to get employment in a studio on the basis of the qualification alone.

My own rationale for paying a lot of money for a course like this would be to compare the cost of hiring a studio for six months with top quality gear. I was fortunate enough to attend a college with a well stocked studio in my department, although I didn't appreciate it at the time. If I had the money now I'd love to have the opportunity to make up for lost time, and I think this course is a great way to go if you an afford it.

Good luck!

John Stafford