Business owners are being urged to respond to the consultation on the proposed assessment plan for the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems Technician Trailblazer Apprenticeship this week.
Pat Allen, director of Abel Alarm and the lead employer on the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems Trailblazer Employer Group, said: “This is an opportunity for employers from our sector to provide input on how they want their apprentices to be assessed, and it’s crucial that they make the most of this chance to do it. I urge any employer to take this opportunity to view and comment on the proposals so we can gather as much feedback as possible before they are submitted, and develop a clear and cohesive industry perspective on how we want our apprentices to be assessed.”
The consultation opened on November 26. It provides opportunities for employers to feedback on key elements of the assessment plan, which has been developed by a group of employers from across the industry. This same group were behind the development of the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standard, which was approved by BIS in August.
Steve Martin, Head of the Fire and Security Association (FSA) said: “This is a crucial opportunity for employers to review the proposals and feedback on the key elements of the assessment plan,” he said. “It’s vital that they take it and the proposals are critiqued by as many business owners as possible so that they understand what their apprentices will have to do in the future to pass their assessment and complete their training.
“The Employer Group, and the stakeholders that support it have worked hard to develop the initial standard, and, in doing so, have given our industry the foundation for the structured apprenticeship that we have desperately needed. There’s no secret that we need new blood, and now it’s been agreed how these apprentices will be trained the next step is to agree how their competencies will be assessed at the end of their training. This will be a critical part of the apprenticeship, and will be critical to its success.”
Steve Martin concluded: “This apprenticeship has been designed by employers with the needs of modern businesses in mind. I would urge anyone who owns a firm which specialises in either fire, security or emergency systems installation – or all three of the disciplines – to respond to the consultation and let the Employer Group know their thoughts on the proposed assessment plan.”
The consultation is now live and closes on 11th December. To take part, visit here
