A college is opening its ‘virtual doors’ to welcome apprentices. Hopwood Hall College and University Centre – which has campuses in Middleton and Rochdale, Greater Manchester – will officially deliver its first online apprenticeship pathway in February 2023.
The Level 3 Apprenticeship in Fire, Emergency and Security Systems has been delivered at the college’s Technology Centre. Now it’ll feature a distance learning option, that anyone aged 19-plus in England can take.
The pathway will comprise of all the elements of the in-person course: teaching from tutors, the gaining of experience through ties to industry, and the mastering of the latest equipment and engineering techniques. The distance learning will largely be done digitally, while apprentices receive on-the-job training at workplaces around England. The online part with Hopwood Hall is six hours a week of learning. They will only need to attend in-person for three one-week blocks during each year of the three-year apprenticeship. Then the students use industry-standard equipment at the college’s campus in Middleton, which is a centre for excellence in the north west.
The Level 3 Apprenticeship in Fire, Emergency and Security Systems will equip the engineers of tomorrow with the skills to detect intrusion, provide surveillance, monitor and control access to properties, and to detect fire and emergencies.
Billy Gilchrist is Apprenticeship Lead for Fire & Security, Electrical, and Engineering at Hopwood Hall. He said: “We’re thrilled to give distance learners the opportunity to reap the rewards that come from completing this sought-after apprenticeship. Our aim is always to provide the highest calibre of training so that we can drive quality, helping to professionalise standards and fuelling growth in the industry.
“This really is an incredible opportunity – both for the apprentice and their employer!”
Meanwhile, the wider industry is adjusting to changing guidelines on standards issued by the the NPCC (National Police Chiefs’ Council). In particular, it is no longer acceptable for accredited companies to use non-accredited contractors. Hopwood Hall suggest that those who complete the course will be perfectly positioned to tackle all manner of jobs in a range of settings.
One of the ways, the college adds, the apprentice will become an asset to their employer is through gaining the ECS (Electrotechnical Certification Scheme) card.
The Level 3 Apprenticeship in Fire, Emergency and Security Systems starts in February 2023. Apprentices must have GCSE Maths and English and be aged 19 or over. For more information, email [email protected] or visit hopwood.ac.uk.
