Officially launched at IFSEC 2008 in May, the recent courses have already attracted more than 60 delegates and the demand for places on future courses is now so high that additional course dates are being scheduled.
Stefan Hay, head of the FSA, said: “At times of economic uncertainty such as these, it is encouraging to see that employers still see the training and development of their employees not as a cost, but as an essential investment in the future of their businesses.”
The courses form part of a wider strategic partnership between the FSA and FPA, and their success has encouraged the FSA to begin work on expanding its portfolio of offerings, with the FPA and another leading training provider, to both the fire and security systems sub-sectors.
Driving skills development
The FSA is also working with SSC SummitSkills, key industry employers, leading training providers and the academic fraternity to ensure that employees in the electro-technical based professions have a clear development pathway ranging from practical training courses to Foundation Degrees, Hay said.
“Both the FSA and its parent organisation, the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA), are committed to driving sector skills development,” he said. “The ECA has already ring-fenced a GB pound 10 million education fund for our members and together we are working to expand the number of sponsored programmes and qualifications available to those members to ensure the sector is as educated, skilled and competitive as it deserves to be.”
