This month sees 16 of the best fire and security apprentice engineers go head to head to be crowned UK’s Engineers of Tomorrow (EoT) and WorldSkills (WSUK) champion. David Scott of Skills for Security gives us the details behind the competitions
The competition, which encompasses two separate events – one for electronic security installers and the other for installers of fire safety devices – aims to help tackle the growing engineering skills gap and attract and retain the next generation of security and fire systems installers. This year’s competition saw over 240 entrants take part across the two competitions, a number only set to increase as the competition continues to grow. This is the first year the fire alarm competition has been included as part of the WSUK portfolio and is a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the importance of life safety systems that keep people and properties protected.
The final of this year’s competition will take place in Barking and Dagenham College. Skills for Security is contracted with WSUK as a competition organising partner to run and manage the event on behalf of the fire and security sector. Skills for Security, as the leading sector apprenticeship and training provider, works closely with partners throughout the sector to ensure the competition is delivered above industry standards.
The competition is a gruelling two-day event where the apprentices need to survey, design, plan, install, commission, repair, maintain, and audit fire and security systems. The competition is designed in such a way to be a level above the standard of even the best Engineers in the UK. The purpose of this is that the apprentices are challenged above their normal day-to-day duties. To do this, they will be using the latest technologies like Texecom Cloud, CSL Gemini and HIK Connect to carry out full remote maintenance and diagnostic activities throughout the competition.
The competition couldn’t be a success without our partners and friends, and this year is no different. SSAIB and the NSI auditors will work closely with lead judge Darrell Gilmour (Skills for Security) to assess and judge this year’s competition. Darrell says, “Having the leading inspectorates from both the NSI and SSAIB really adds great value to the judging process. I am both thrilled and excited to be leading this year’s judging for the competition.”
The fire and security sector is well-represented at this year’s competition. With all four nations being involved in the competition, we have finalists from Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North West of England and the South.
This year’s finalists are:
Electronic Security competition winners (Training providers | employer is in brackets)
- Bradley Stevens (Skills for Security | Macaw Security Solutions)
- Cody Moody (Belfast Met | ViS)
- Gianluca Mori (Banham | Banham)
- Harry Dickson (Skills for Security | EFT Systems)
- James Mcgeough (Belfast Met | McElwaine Security)
- Paul Mcelroy (Belfast Met | McElwaine Security)
- Thomas Pavilonis (Focus Training | Trelawney Fire & Security)
- Tom Sixsmith (Skills for Security | EFT Systems)
Fire Detection and Alarm competition winners
- Alexander Wallace (SERCS | Building Protection Services)
- Callen Logan (Skills for Security | Connelly Security Systems)
- Jonny Hamilton (SERCS | Atlas World)
- Jordan Moon (Skills for Security | Sentinel Security)
- Josh Young (Skills for Security | Sentinel Security)
- Nathan Portman (JTL Training | Bryland Fire Protection)
- Owen Nelson (Skills for Security | EFT Systems)
- William Graham (NCL | Fortress Security)
The Engineers of Tomorrow & WorldSkills UK process:
- February-April: Registration opened
- 4-29 April: Knowledge-based online assessments took place
- 29 April-24 June: Qualifiers
- 17-19 May: Engineers of Tomorrow finals at IFSEC and FIREX (ExCeL, London)
- 26 May: Announce national finalists
- W/C 10 October: Bootcamp
- 16th & 17th November: WorldSkills UK National Finals
- 24th November – Winners announced at the Security & Fire Excellence Awards (Hilton Park Lane, London)
