Banham Academy and NSI launch technician training programme for women

Taking place from 13-17 June 2022 at The Banham Academy in Earlsfield, South West London, this new free-to-attend training programme will provide women aged 16 and over with a valuable insight into the requirements of the FESS Apprenticeship standard. Attendees will gain a basic understanding of the functions of CCTV, intruder alarm, access control and fire safety systems and the role of the systems technician. By the end of the course, attendees will have learned how to take control of a given system, diagnose it and rectify any faults.

With females significantly under-represented within the security and fire sectors, The Banham Academy and the NSI are seeking to help bridge the industry’s gender gap by offering the training programme as a means of attracting new talent.

An added benefit for those who complete the course and are motivated by the experience to embark upon a career as a systems technician is the opportunity to meet with a number of security and fire safety companies on the final day of the instruction programme. These employers will be in attendance and looking to diversify their workforces with skilled female technicians, providing trainees with direct opportunities for apprenticeships.

Addressing the gender gap

Kevin Faulkner, head of The Banham Academy, observed: “The Banham Academy and the NSI are committed to address the gender gap in our industry and we’re delighted to officially launch this female-focused programme at our training centre. We have successfully trained several young women through time, so we know there’s an appetite, but we all have a duty to ensure that such training programmes are easily accessible for all genders. We’re really excited to see what raw talent is nurtured through this programme and then witness skilled women embarking on rewarding careers within the sector.”

Richard Jenkins, CEO at the NSI, added: “We’re delighted to be launching this introductory training programme with The Banham Academy to help drive change and encourage more women into our sector. As a founding stakeholder of the well-respected ‘Engineers of Tomorrow’ competition, the NSI has made a long-standing commitment to apprenticeships and is keen to further build on this success and help bridge the gender gap.”

Jenkins continued: “There are no barriers to women becoming security or fire systems technicians, but changing perceptions is often the hardest thing. We’re confident those women who participate in this new training programme will be well-placed to take advantage of the many and varied opportunities available to them and very much hope that they will be motivated to apply their skills and become an apprentice within our sector.”

*Individuals keen on attending the training programme and finding out about the apprenticeship, or those security and fire safety systems companies wishing to employ a female apprentice, should send an e-mail to info@banhamacademy.com for more information

**Additional detail on The Banham Academy is available online at www.banham.co.uk/academy