Avatar photo

Contributor

Author Bio ▼

Adam Bannister is a contributor to IFSEC Global, having been in the role of Editor from 2014 through to November 2019. Adam also had stints as a journalist at cybersecurity publication, The Daily Swig, and as Managing Editor at Dynamis Online Media Group.
February 23, 2017

Download

Whitepaper: Enhancing security, resilience and efficiency across a range of industries

Engineering skills crisis

Trailblazer apprenticeship standard launched to plug growing skills gap in fire and security

A ground-breaking apprenticeship standard for the fire and security sector was launched yesterday.

Two years in the making the fire, emergency and security systems apprenticeship trailblazer has been developed by some of the industry’s most prominent organisations to bridge what is widely recognised as a yawning gap in engineering skills.

Most candidates for the apprenticeship standard are now expected to formally start their apprenticeship in September this year.

The fire, emergency and security systems apprenticeship trailblazer is launched at UBM’s London offices

The event was jointly organised by the apprenticeship employers group, alongside the Fire and Security Association (FSA), Fire Industry Association (FIA) and British Security Industry Association (BSIA).

The launch event was held at the London offices of UBM – organisers of IFSEC International.

Pat Allen of the employers group, who spoke at the event alongside IFSEC and FIREX event director Gerry Dunphy and Simon Banks, group director of CSL, said: “The entire industry was able to collaborate and create a clear standard that will give apprentices the core skills and experience they require to become the engineers of tomorrow.

“The new apprenticeship will now provide an opportunity for employers within the fire, emergency and security sectors to work together and influence the future of our industry.”

The trailblazer apprenticeship was developed by the employers group, with the help of the BSIA, FIA and FSA. The government approved the standard last year.

Simon Banks also told the audience that the promotion of apprenticeships in the fire and security industry had been aided by the Engineers of Tomorrow competition, which takes place annually at IFSEC International in June.

More than 50 young engineers compete in a 90-minute installation challenge throughout the three-day event. The overall heat winners and their employers are invited to the Security & Fire Excellence Awards.

Free Download: The Video Surveillance Report 2023

Discover the latest developments in the rapidly-evolving video surveillance sector by downloading the 2023 Video Surveillance Report. Over 500 responses to our survey, which come from integrators to consultants and heads of security, inform our analysis of the latest trends including AI, the state of the video surveillance market, uptake of the cloud, and the wider economic and geopolitical events impacting the sector!

Download for FREE to discover top industry insight around the latest innovations in video surveillance systems.

VideoSurveillanceReport-FrontCover-23

Related Topics

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments