The Engineers of Tomorrow competition – formerly the UK Apprentice Skills Challenge – returns to IFSEC International in 2012.
Sponsored by CSL DualCom and run in association with Skills for Security, the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) and the National Security Inspectorate (NSI), this year’s competition sees Texecom take on the role of sole equipment supplier.
There has been a steady stream of entries to date, but now’s the time for security installation companies to put forward their apprentices. They need to be in it to win it!
As such, the major organisations involved with the competition are keen to emphasise why this annual event is so important in terms of the wider security sector and the overall business landscape.
Valuable showcase for future skills
“Skills for Security has always supported the Engineers of Tomorrow apprentice challenge at IFSEC as it’s such a valuable showcase for the skills of our future workforce,” explained David Greer, the chief executive at Skills for Security. “The apprentices have the opportunity to meet and compete against their peers from different parts of the country, while a visit to the show itself provides inspiration for their future careers when they see the innovative technology that this fast-changing sector has to offer.”
Greer added: “We strongly urge all systems employers to put forward their apprentices for the 2012 competition. You will benefit from having a more committed and knowledgeable employee at the end of the challenge, and don’t forget all the local publicity that you can gain by taking part in what’s a national competition.”
Simon Banks – commercial director at CSL DualCom and, along with Greer, a key founder of the 100 in 100 initiative – said: “Employers are now taking apprenticeships seriously. Young people, along with their parents, view them as a viable alternative to a university education.”
Banks continued: “The Engineers of Tomorrow challenge is an event that brings to life the competitiveness that’s so necessary in today’s business environment. It’s tough out there, and an ambitious young person needs a healthy mix of academia and on-the-job experience. It’s an indispensable prerequisite to assist personal success and realise their potential and the aspirations of their employer.”
Jeff Little – CEO at the National Security Inspectorate – has also commented on the 2012 competition.
“The importance of apprenticeships in our industry cannot be underestimated,” he explained. “Employers are realising all the time that, to gain competitive advantage within a sector whose technology is evolving at an ever increasing pace, employing apprentices can only have a most positive long term effect – not only for the future of their own organisations but also for the wider industry.”
Little went on to comment: “The UK’s security sector has incredible potential but, unless we nurture and invest in the young talent which will lead it into the future, we do risk stunting its growth and becoming left behind in the technology stakes.”
He concluded: “The NSI is proud to support this national competition and would urge those visiting IFSEC this year to see for themselves the incredible talent developing within our engineers of tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the SSAIB said: “It’s excellent to see young apprentices demonstrating their skills at IFSEC each year and producing installations of such high quality. The SSAIB is proud to support this event and endorse qualifications and training within the electronic systems industry.”
About the Engineers of Tomorrow competition
In line with the changing landscape of UK security, the Engineers of Tomorrow competition has once again evolved for 2012.
The task facing young apprentices requires sound critical assessment as well as installation skills. Working in pairs, participants will be required to commission an existing system in line with EN Standards. As in previous years, points will be allocated against the various disciplines taking into account the different skills required. The team with the most points wins the competition.
Apprentice duos must undertake a short written test covering the European Standards, critically assess a previously installed intruder alarm system, identify two faults which had been placed into the system, re-commission the system in line with EN Standards and add additional protection.
A fantastic cash prize of GB pound 1,000 will be shared between the winners who’ll be presented with their certificates at the 2012 Security Excellence Awards Ceremony (to be held at the London Hilton Hotel on Park Lane this coming October).
How to submit your entry for the Engineers of Tomorrow in 2012
- Interested parties are encouraged to enter the 2012 Engineers of Tomorrow competition by accessing the official entry brochure.
- You can enter online here
What happened last year?
Last year’s winners were David Scott and Stuart Bailey of FES (Forth Electrical Services) and SSG Security Systems respectively.
Talking to Info4Security, David Scott commented: “I’d like to thank the staff at Motherwell College for providing the resources needed to compete at this level. Without their commitment none of this would have been possible.”
He added: “The skills and knowledge we developed at Motherwell College were crucial to our performance on the day and equipped us to handle the intense pressures set by the challenges. Having gained the necessary experience to install, commission and hand over a fully-installed security system to a customer, we were fully prepared to compete at this level.”
At the time, Scott went on to explain: “The process pushed our abilities to another level, and I hope to continue to develop professionally with the view of one day becoming a project manager or teaching others who wish to work in the industry.”
Scott is no longer employed by FES (Forth Electrical Services), having joined Motherwell College as a lecturer. In turn; he’s imparting his knowledge for the good of tomorrow’s apprentices, which is fabulous news and testament to the Engineers of Tomorrow’s importance.
Forum of Private Business urges Government to boost credibility of apprenticeship schemes
Only recently the Forum of Private Business urged the Government to simplify the entire apprenticeship system in order to make them more business-friendly and appealing to industry leaders.
Marking National Apprenticeship Week (which ran in February), the business support organisation made its submission to the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee’s inquiry into apprenticeships and called for a number of adjustments to make the scheme more appropriate to the needs and requirements of UK businesses.
The Forum believes training courses such as apprenticeships need to be seen as more worthy, with better information provided to bosses about courses and their effectiveness. It’s also urging decision-makers to incentivise small businesses that take on young people and reward those that do; to work more closely with employers on delivering training provision in terms of local need and simplify other aspects of these types of training schemes.
The Forum reiterated in its submission previous calls on Government to help improve the employability of pupils through better education, and additionally to formulate a plan which would bring together skills offerings in one place with support from dedicated staff (such as on the new Business Link website).
Forum representative Jane Bennett said: “Our members value on-the-job training and our latest research backs this up. Apprenticeships are an attractive training method for employers, but we think the Government could boost their appeal by making them much more business-friendly.”
Bennet added: “The problem is that the majority of courses are not flexible, which is essential for small firms. There’s also a lack of information available to small businesses about course benefits and therefore they find it difficult to navigate a complex system made up of numerous courses. Clear information on the effectiveness of courses is also especially important because small firms need good quality that increases competency.”
The Forum would also like to see small firms who recruit apprentices given financial help to cover training costs and at least some of the wages.
“BIS research suggests companies see payback after three years,” stated Bennett. “Tthat’s too long for small firms. While we welcome apprenticeship subsidies for those that go through the NAS, we feel they should be extended to those who carry out in-house training, either through tax or subsidies.”
Closer co-operation between businesses and education providers
The Forum also suggests the need for closer co-operation between business and education providers to allow a more tailored approach to local skill needs, and has welcomed the announced reduction on Health and Safety compliance for apprenticeships (but still urges more work to be done in this area.”
“A more proactive approach in reaching out to businesses will better shape the schemes being offered, and the benefits to small firms will become clearer in the process,” added Bennett. “Training providers must work with small businesses to better understand the needs of the local community and create courses which reflect the job opportunities in the labour market.”
Bennett explained: “Recent announcements on reducing Health and Safety compliance for small businesses that employ apprentices are welcome, but this reform should go further in cutting red tape by reducing employment law burdens and making it easier to let unsuitable apprentices go.”
As well as recommendations on apprenticeships, the Forum believes improving the skills system more generally would help to improve the quality of training schemes.
“Small firms need work-ready recruits who have the basic skills to hand,” insisted Bennett. “This we know is not always the experience of our members.”