The Engineers of Tomorrow competition winners were unveiled at The London Hilton, Park Lane before dinner was served at the 2012 Security Excellence Awards.
On that note, UBM Live’s Security and Fire Portfolio would like to congratulate first prize winners Nathan Sefton and Ryan Jenkins (of Chubb Fire and Security), second prize winners Luke Smith and Kieron Lees (from CIA Fire and Security) and third prize winners Luke Preston and Anthony Barnes (also of CIA Fire and Security) on their magnificent achievements.
Prefacing this part of the ceremony, though, Simon Banks (group managing director at CSL DualCom) arrived on stage to announce the result of this year’s 100 in 100 campaign in the wake of a short promotional video.
You may already be aware that the 100 in 100 project is designed to place 100 new apprentices with security firms in the time between IFSEC International in May – which plays host to said Engineers of Tomorrow competition – and the Security Excellence Awards ceremony in October.
Last year, the inaugural 100 in 100 drive – launched by CSL DualCom in conjunction with Skills for Security and supported by the National Security Inspectorate, the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board and the British Security Industry Association – realised 155 new apprentices for bold UK security companies willing to buy-in to what’s now a burgeoning trend.
This time around, the campaign has energised an even more impressive result.
Target smashed for the second year running
“I’m extremely proud to say that, with your support, we’ve absolutely smashed our target of 100 new apprentices and have actually placed 320. Given the pipeline involved this means that the 100 in 100 campaign has realised over 550 new apprenticeship placements in just 18 months.”
The sheer scale of this magnificent achievement cannot be over-emphasised, and is a huge feather in the cap for Banks, Skills for Security’s CEO David Greer and all those who’ve played their part (among them UBM Live’s Security Portfolio, which has served as Official Media Partner across the two campaigns run to date).
After a sustained and extremely well deserved round of applause, Banks continued: “It gets better. These young people have a career, no debt and now have skills for life. Many of you in the audience this evening have children and will understand what we’re driving towards with this initiative.”
Expanding on this last point, Banks said that, according to a recent London School of Economics study, the true cost of sending a single individual to university is now something around the GB pound 54,000 mark when you factor-in such elements as accommodation and other costs.
“Our youngsters are often leaving university with huge debts and no guarantee of immediate employment. How are they supposed to get ahead? With an apprenticeship, on the other hand, there’s a choice. They can earn and learn at the same time.”
This tremendous result reflects months of hard work and follows on from the recent meeting with skills minister Matthew Hancock.
Apprenticeships focus at the Global Security Summit
As reported on Info4Security, Day Two of the conference programme at this year’s Global Security Summit – which ran from 10-11 October at London’s Olympia – opened with an address from London’s Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse, which focused on the impact of Mayor Boris Johnson’s apprenticeships drive across the Capital.
Also speaking on the day were Simon Banks, Peter French (managing director of SSR Personnel and an active champion of apprenticeship programmes) and Mike Britnell, interim CEO at Skills for Security.
French in particular was keen to share with the packed audience SSR Personnel’s own experiences of apprenticeships and youth training across the last two decades, and how both can be hugely beneficial.
SSR Personnel’s managing director mentioned that some youngsters have come to the company from households where members therein have not worked in three generations.
Trio of success stories
Crucially, set against that backdrop French shared three success stories where the company – only just crowned the first winners of the new Security Recruitment Consultancy of the Year category at the Security Excellence Awards – has been involved in the personal development of youngsters for engagement in the workplace.
First, French cited the case of Stephen, who arrived on SSR’s doorstep 12 years ago.
“He’s a great guy,” explained French, “but he’d never done that well at school. Possibly due to the bullying, or because no-one had worked out that he was short-sighted. No qualifications but a really nice bloke, and very much a people person. Today, we’re proud to say he runs a GB pound 15 million business in healthcare.”
Michelle joined SSR Personnel in 2000. “You could describe her as the school bully,” urged French. “A girl with a hard exterior, shall we say. Her dream was to work, and immerse herself in doing something that mattered. Michelle left school with no qualifications.”
He continued: “Well, we helped her to take an NVQ and further qualifications and, today, Michelle works for a project management company and has recently passed her PRINCE2 studies.”
Lastly, French spoke of Askain, a refugee from Turkey who joined SSR Personnel as recently as 2005. Her parents spoke no English, but knew that the UK would be the place for them to raise their three daughters.
“We enrolled Askain in the SSR Youth Training Scheme,” said French. “She wanted to do well and, today, Askain looks after high level clearance requests for contractors at the MoD as well as other high security establishments.”
Commitment from security guarding companies
The UK security sector currently employs something in the region of 500,000 individuals and develops young people for many diversified roles.
To their great credit, three security companies – namely VSG, MITIE and G4S – have renewed their commitment for 2013 to expand wherever possible the numbers of young people with whom they engage.
French said: “VSG has delivered and completed over 230 apprenticeships in security across the last academic year as a result of adopting a fully-embedded delivery and assessment model. The company’s aspiration is to deliver a further 330 apprenticeships in security throughout the current academic year in all areas of the UK.”
Indeed, VSG is committed to delivering between 50 and 90 of those apprenticeships in the London region which will no doubt be music to the Mayor’s ears.
For its part, since August last year MITIE has completed 315 security apprenticeships in England, with 135 of them being in London. The company has also educated and trained 24 middle managers via the Diploma course orchestrated in partnership with Middlesex University.
“MITIE is wholly committed to further training and development for youngsters in 2013,” outlined French, with the company recently announcing the launch of its Command and Control course for Control Room staff. Initial enrolments are already underway.
Last, but by no means least, G4S has worked on NVQs and apprenticeships for a number of years now. Earlier in 2012, the company celebrated its 2000th NVQ award to employees, while senior management have again renewed their commitment to supporting an apprenticeships programme.
French announced that an equal commitment has been stated by Securitas, Wilson James, Corps Security and The Shield Guarding Company – all of whom are to be commended for this decision.
In closing his delivery at the Global Security Summit, French turned towards Kit Malthouse and said: “We would like you to inform the Mayor that we in the security sector understand our obligations and will deliver more apprenticeship opportunities for the Capital in the coming 12 months.”
Way forward for attracting new talent
Also speaking at the same conference session on the second day of this year’s Global Security Summit, Skills for Security’s interim CEO Mike Britnell stated: “The main point I wish to convey this morning is that apprentices, particularly security apprentices, are the way forward when it comes to our sector attracting young talent.”
Skills for Security, of course, is the sector skills organisation set up by the security industry for the security industry. It’s a relatively small operation of just 29 people based in Worcester, but never, ever underestimate its importance to the business of security.
“All we do is designed to improve the vocational skills of people employed in the security business sector,” explained Britnell. That process is vital, and involves the provision of several key services.
“We work with the industry,” enthused Britnell, “and, part-funded by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, we establish and gain approval for National Occupational Standards – the very basis of subsequent educational qualifications.”
Importantly, and making good use of funding provided by the Skills Funding Agency, Skills for Security ably supports security companies and colleges to find, recruit and then train apprentices. Hence the organisation’s pivotal involvement in the 100 in 100 campaign.
“We are also the ‘skills voice’ for the industry,” said Britnell, “lobbying Government and other players for changes in legislation and support in developing the skills in our sector.”
Britnell referred to the aforementioned meeting with Matthew Hancock and the opening up of what he firmly hopes will be “an ongoing and collaborative dialogue regarding the way in which Government can support our skills agenda.”
Challenging role, diverse skills sets
Speaking about the wider security world, Britnell went on to state: “We all know that the world of ‘security’ has breadth and depth, with a large number of skills areas ranging from guarding through to IT security management and on to crime-fighting and the establishment of a security strategy.”
On that basis, he continued: “A job in security will often be challenging, but importantly it will offer access to a diverse range of skills sets – all of them interesting enough to keep a young person engaged for the rest of their working lifetime.”
For its part, Skills for Security is able to offer London-based security companies – and, more specifically, those with the vision to recognise that apprentices are the leaders of tomorrow – the opportunity to recruit and train apprentices in the areas of guarding, security alarms installation, business administration and customer service.
“Importantly,” urged Britnell, “the Government provides us with funding to help with the cost of such training, in turn reducing the financial burdens on employers.”
Focusing on the Capital, Britnell stressed: “This is London’s opportunity to take on security apprentices, thereby helping young people start their careers and launch the security talent of the next generation. Don’t forget that even one security apprenticeship is good for the youngster involved, good for the employer, good for society and, vitally, good for the security business sector.”