Render Alarms

Plugging a gap in local training

The business had previously secured apprenticeship funding in 2017 but recently needed more help as there were no providers available locally offering the apprenticeship standard they needed.

Mike said: “Recent changes in the industry stipulated that apprentices must complete a Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) qualification as part of their apprenticeship, but the closest supplier was over an hour’s drive away which isn’t practical for an apprentice. We really were in a difficult situation as we rely on apprentices coming through to grow the company.

That’s where the Skills for Growth team came in. They supported the business and worked with the Education Training Collective to introduce the standard locally at Redcar College. Three apprentices from Render Alarms enrolled on the programme to complete their level 3 FESS Technician standard, alongside a further eight apprentices from other local security companies who also benefited from the new training standard.

Mike continued: “Our Skills Development Officer worked hard to identify potential providers and discussed the possibilities with them. Skills for Growth saved us by finding a training provider who could deliver the course we needed for our apprentices – without that we would never have been able to take on another.”

Thanks to this joined up working, Render Alarms is looking forward to welcoming more apprentices into the business.

Mike said: “It fills us with pride to see our apprentices develop, fresh out of school and having never held a screwdriver in their hands, to being fully competent engineers going out on their first job. They then go on to train new apprentices and help the company to grow.”