FIA Guide to the UK Fire Safety Industry Competency & Training Feature
and context-dependent. Competence is
therefore defined in many different ways
across different industries. This is
necessary to reflect the specific
circumstances and meet the specific
needs of the individuals and
organisations employing individuals
operating in those industries.”
Additionally, the document observes:
“For an individual to be considered
competent, sector-specific competence
frameworks should require that
individuals have the appropriate skills,
knowledge and experience, combined
with appropriate behaviours, to be able
to fulfil their defined role, function or
activity and carry out appropriate tasks.
This is sometimes referred to in
shorthand as SKEB.”
The knowledge aspect of SKEB is
described as an “essential building block
of competence leading to the
development of skills.” There’s a focus on
developing this formal – or codified –
knowledge to raise competency levels
for individuals within the fire safety
industry. That’s not to undermine or
otherwise lessen the importance of
workplace experience, but skills can only
be developed with a solid foundation of
understanding in respect of the relevant
area of fire safety being performed.
Individual regulation
Moving forward, FireQual aims to play a
major role within the area of individual
competency-based qualifications. We
look to specialise in supporting the
industry, ensuring that we always
maintain our focus on what’s important:
the development of a consistent and
competency-based approach.
Undertaking a regulated qualification
helps to concentrate efforts on the
development of the individual with a
view towards ensuring that they can
demonstrate minimum competencies in
a given subject area.
Regulated qualifications help to
ensure reliability and consistency. If an
individual achieves a qualification, it
doesn’t matter where they are locally,
regionally, nationally or internationally.
All must meet the same requirements. It
helps to provide confidence in the
knowledge and skills that person claims
to have. It’s not something they say they
can do. They’ve had to prove it and do
so in front of a recognised standard.
What should never be overlooked is
the very real sense of achievement it can
give to those who achieve qualifications
as a result of working hard to develop
themselves. Robust qualifications really
do recognise such achievements.
These qualifications also help to
provide assurance of the quality of the
training provided. Not only does the
individual involved demonstrate the
knowledge and skills they’ve developed
during their training in achieving the
qualification, but the organisations
delivering that training are also subject
to rigorous quality assurance checks.
Within the safety industry, there are
many training programmes and
qualifications available that fall under
‘self-regulation’, meaning that they may
not have been suitably reviewed by an
appropriate independent body. Of
course, this doesn’t mean that certain
training available isn’t delivered to a
high quality standard. However,
FireQual – among other Awarding
Bodies – will only provide qualifications
that sit within the national qualification
regulatory systems. This is an important
factor to consider as qualifications are
set for greater scrutiny in times ahead.
Competency for life safety
FireQual very much follows the mantra
of BAFE whereby it’s continually asserted
and stressed that ‘fire safety is life safety’.
For over 30 years now, BAFE has been at
the forefront of providing the necessary
access and guidance for those wishing to
achieve independent and quality-based
evidence of organisational competency.
Third party-certificated fire safety
service providers are usually assessed on
an annual basis to re-evaluate this level
of competency. The concept of ongoing
and continuous development will hold
much more importance for individuals
in the coming years and, indeed, is
discussed as a matter of importance in
the ‘Setting the Bar’ document.
FireQual will acknowledge the
importance of maintaining relevant
qualifications, providing opportunities
for practitioners to both progress and
refresh their knowledge and skills where
suitable. Qualifications must keep pace
with industry developments and
changes within standards or working
practice, thereby ensuring that
education works in collaboration – and
not at odds with – industry.
We believe the future of the fire safety
industry looks far safer than ever before. •
Nic Preston is Director of
Qualifications at FireQual
(www.firequal.com)
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