Apprenticeship programme at RISCO addresses sector’s engineer shortfall

The new apprentices will help to ensure that RISCO continues to afford its installer partners rapid access to knowledgeable UK-based engineers who provide critical technical support to facilitate the efficient delivery of projects, including multi-site Grade 3 commercial installations.

In conjunction with Skills for Security – which works in association with the British Security Industry Association and security sector skills body The Banks Foundation – the company has appointed its first two apprentices. Based at the company’s UK headquarters in Rochdale, Mehedi Hussain and Ricardo Butler have completed intensive training in RISCO’s hardware infrastructure and software platforms and are now fully fledged apprentice technical support technicians, providing first-line installer assistance as part of the in-house technical support team.

With both apprentices committed to long-term careers in the security industry – Butler is already planning to start his own business at some point in the future – RISCO hopes that its programme will not only help to enhance its own installer support service, but also go some way towards helping to safeguard the future of the industry by nurturing new engineering talent.

Sales team restructuring

In further evidence of RISCO’s ongoing commitment to meet the precise needs of installers, the business has restructured its sales team with the appointment of four new regional sales managers and two promotions.

Dave Strawson has been promoted to the role of national sales manager following seven years with the company. He leads a team of five regional sales managers with a combined industry experience of over 150 years. The solution-focused team will work directly with installers, gaining an insight into their pain points and evolving requirements, in turn ensuring that they’re catered for with bespoke solutions drawing on RISCO’s product and service portfolio.

Patricia Jones is RISCO’s new regional sales manager for the North of England, Michael Mitchell covers Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; Mark Ward manages the central England and North Wales territory, Joe Boyle takes care of installers in the South West of England and South Wales and Anton Wedderburn looks after those located in South East England and London.

The new regional sales managers will be supported by three sales engineers who provide installers with bespoke training and technical support on RISCO’s products, in addition to five customer service representatives.

Concise portfolio

RISCO offers a concise security product portfolio to installers spanning the commercial, industrial and residential sectors. Installer partners benefit from the company’s comprehensive programme of training events, webinars and videos.

RISCO’s UK and Ireland managing director Mark Taylor commented: “Our technical apprentices and new sales team will help to ensure that our installers receive exactly the products and support services they need, precisely when they need them, enabling them to efficiently deliver top quality security projects for installations right up to multi-site Grade 3 commercial.”

Taylor added: “Looking at the bigger picture, RISCO is proud to be investing in apprentices and attracting new talent to the industry at a real time of need.”

Wired, wireless and hybrid

RISCO supplies a portfolio of wired, wireless and hybrid solutions, including cloud security, video monitoring and verification and connected home systems. A technological pioneer, the company was established back in 1978 and became the first to introduce cloud-based solutions to the UK’s intruder alarm market.

RISCO’s cloud and interactive services related to security, building management and smart home solutions are ISO 27001 security certified against cyber attacks. RISCO is an ECHO- ready supplier, providing products that facilitate swift police response to emergency alarms.

*Further information is available online at www.riscogroup.com/uk