From 1 April, the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) will be subsidising ABBE Accreditation fees for all courses, with Level 2 Awards costing £40 instead of £50, and Level 4 Awards costing £50, reduced from £60.
As the Building Safety Act comes into effect, and the demand for a skilled workforce increases, individuals will be required to prove that they are competent to do their job on-site. DHF is urging learners to upgrade to accreditation in order to gain a formal qualification recognised by the construction industry.
Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens, Commercial Director, says, “More and more of the industry is being asked to prove competence. Although a recognised qualification doesn’t do this on its own, it does fulfil the ‘knowledge’ aspect of the SKEB (Skills, Knowledge, Experience, Behaviours) model. The purpose of accreditation is the improvement of academic quality and public accountability. DHF’s accredited courses are a formal qualification and the first in the industry to be offered as a theory-based course. The course complements, but doesn’t replace, the NVQ Door & Gate Systems Engineer Level 2, and for the public, promotes the company who employs a trained workforce. It is invaluable for those who tender for jobs in the pre-qualifying questionnaire process.”
“Regulated accreditation of courses demonstrates the quality of an educational programme that prepares for entry into a recognised profession,” continues, Patricia. DHF continues to offer the only accredited theory-based courses in the industry. It remains an Approved Assessment Centre of ABBE, regulated by Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, which regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England.
“With the introduction of competency frameworks within the industry, it will become the ‘norm’ for contractors to ask for formal qualifications and will become part of the question set within PQQ’s. Having formally qualified members of staff, an installation firm with properly accredited staff will have an ‘edge’ over competitors without accredited staff when promoting its business to clients. So DHF is encouraging more learners to opt for a formal accreditation and that’s why we’re supporting the industry by subsidising the fees. DHF believes this will go some way to help provide evidence toward competence in individuals,” she concludes.
Courses can be booked via the DHF website at https://bit.ly/FTFTraining.
To add accreditation, tick the ‘Accreditation’ box when booking and paying online.
