South Eastern Regional College (SERC) hosted a Fire and Security Careers Day on 7th June to raise awareness of the opportunities for qualifications and careers in the fire and security industry.
A core part of this day was the award and recognition to the first cohort of completing apprentices under the new Fire, Emergency & Security Systems (FESS) standard from SERC in Northern Ireland. ECS promotes qualifications, training, and competence within the FESS sector in Northern Ireland and part of this day was a chance to explain how ECS was working with industry across the UK to raise the bar on standards.
Fire and Security employers, with the support of the Northern Ireland Fire and Security Employers’ Federation(NIFSEF), have been working to professionalise the sector, employing highly trained, experienced technicians with a recognised qualification pathway. The development of the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) framework through ECS allowed NIFSEF and others to feed into this industry development for a standardised, UK-wide approach. ECS provides certification that the training, qualifications, experience and competency requirements for these individuals has been met and ECS cards, as a CSCS Partner Scheme, are recognised for project access across the UK.
Robin Hamill, Lecturer in Fire & Security at SERC, said, “This was a fantastic opportunity for young people, school leavers and experienced workers who may be considering a change of career to find out about the qualifications and employment opportunities in an exciting growth industry.
“We are keen to raise awareness of the career opportunities in an industry which people may not have considered. There is a recognised skills shortage in the industry and jobs for fully qualified technicians command lucrative salaries.”
He added, “For the past six years SERC has been growing and developing the fire and security apprenticeship. Our apprentices have gained recognition for their tremendous achievements in national competitions including IFSEC National Fire and National Security Competition. This illustrates the quality of their training - a partnership between SERC and employers - and the apprentice's expertise, professionalism and positive attitude.”
SERC has been instrumental in supporting the introduction of the Northern Ireland Fire and Security Employers Federation and the development of new courses and upskilling training for the industry. Employers and manufacturers have contributed state-of-the-art products to the College to support teaching and Continuing Professional Development.
To find out more about the ECS FESS standard and how this could benefit you and your company, please go to www.ecscard.org.uk/FESS