The Fire and Security Association (FSA) and the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) have welcomed Welsh Government’s approval of a new Apprenticeship Pathway in Fire and Security. That means the fire, emergency and security systems (FESS) sector has a specialist apprenticeship available to employers and learners in every part of the UK.
FSA Chair Tom Brookes said: “The new apprenticeship in fire and security marks an important step forward for FESS standards in Wales. As such, it represents a fantastic achievement for the close and effective partnership on competence and skills now developing between Welsh Government and industry employers. We look forward to seeing this partnership continue to grow and strengthen further over time.”
And Trevor Jenks, SSAIB National Training Manager, said: “SSAIB are delighted to have been involved in the development of the new Welsh Apprenticeship Pathway, which both aligns with the UK-wide FESS Technician Standard and respects Wales’s specific training identity and norms. The SSAIB continues to take a leading role in setting and raising of the technical standards as the whole FESS sector upskills on its route to a fully competent workforce, validated by an individual’s competency card.”
Development of this apprenticeship for the over-16s, which was jointly funded by FSA and SSAIB, has come as a response to employer demand in Wales, the industry body and the inspectorate say. Employers were also involved in the steering group which oversaw its development. The Welsh apprentices’ curriculum is aligned with UK-wide technical and occupational competence standards. The apprenticeship features two qualifications which have now been designated by Qualifications Wales: the exam awarding body EAL’s Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Providing Electronic Fire and Security Systems, and the EAL Level 3 Knowledge Diploma in Providing Electronic Fire and Security Systems. On completion, you achieve UK FESS Technician status and entitlement to apply for a gold card under the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS).
This new benchmark also provides a route for the existing workforce in Wales to upskill from Operative to gold card Technician level when the FESS Experience Worker Assessment route becomes widely available later this year across the UK.
Wales’ Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, pictured, said: “The Welsh Government is committed to investing in quality apprenticeships that support economic growth. This new apprenticeship will raise standards across the fire, emergency and security systems industry and make a significant contribution to the competence and skills of the workforce in Wales. The fact the apprenticeship was jointly developed across the sector is testament to the value and strength of collaborative working in meeting industry needs.”
Background
Trevor, Tom, and Andy Reakes, Director of Growth and Development, at the ECA – the trade association for the electrotechnical sector and parent body of the FSA – spoke at Firex, the fire safety show co-located with IFSEC, at London Excel last week, on ‘raising standards and competence in the fire and security industry’. More in the July print edition of Professional Security Magazine.
In 2020, the Welsh Government launched a £40m skills and jobs fund to incentivise employers to take on and train new workers, including apprentices and young people. Visit https://acwcerts.co.uk/.
