Finding their feet in Fire Safety: How the Young Persons Foundation is helping the next generation of engineers

For someone starting out in the fire and security industry, there is a lot to learn.

For multi-disciplinary installation companies, this can mean fire alarms and emergency lighting to extinguishers, fire doors, intruder alarms and access control. For young people building their careers, gaining the right knowledge and qualifications can make a huge difference - not just to their technical ability, but to their confidence.

That is exactly why the British Fire Consortium established the Young Person’s Foundation (YPF) back last year.

The YPF supports member companies with young people entering and developing within the fire safety industry by helping them access high-quality training and recognised Level 3 qualifications – with an incredible 75% discount. It is about giving the next generation the opportunity to build their skills, develop their confidence and establish themselves in an industry where properly trained people are essential – whilst offering a significant member benefit.

This year, two engineers from BFC member company Defend and Protect have experienced that first-hand.

Three qualifications each - and a lot more confidence

Brandon and Kai are both Fire and Security Engineers at Defend and Protect, a company working across fire alarms, extinguishers, fire doors, intruder alarms, access control and gate automation.

With such a broad range of services, there is no shortage of knowledge to build.

Through the YPF, both Brandon and Kai have been able to undertake three industry qualifications this year.

Brandon completed his Fire Extinguisher training with Joe Newman, followed by Level 3 Fire Alarm  training with Zzeus and Fire Door Inspection with Lee Richards.

Kai completed Fire Door Inspection with Lee Richards, as well as Fire Extinguisher training with Joe and Fire Alarm training with ZZeus.

For Brandon, the experience started with something he wasn't particularly comfortable with: the fear of taking a test.

“I went in there terrified. I normally hate tests.”

But that feeling didn't last long.

“They made me feel so welcome, and I learnt so much from doing it. They helped massively.”

What started as apprehension quickly turned into something much more positive. Brandon says the training has not only developed his knowledge, but strengthened his enthusiasm for the industry.

“I'm passionate about it now. I'd 100% recommend it to any engineer looking to progress their skills.”

It’s about the environment too

For Kai, who had already experienced quite a bit of training during his time in the industry, it wasn't simply the content of the courses that stood out.

It was the environment.

Being part of the BFC membership community meant he felt there was a level of attention and support that made a real difference.

“Because the BFC are an organisation and you're part of a membership, you get a lot more attention.”

And sometimes, particularly for someone relatively new to the industry, that can be just as important as the qualification itself.

“It was very nice and welcoming, good banter, a friendly environment.”

Of course, that doesn't mean the courses were without their challenges.

There is a lot to take in when you're learning technical subjects, and the assessments demand that knowledge is properly understood.

Kai found the extinguisher training particularly challenging.

“The extinguishers took a bit to get your head around, and there's a lot to process and remember for the test.”

But with the support of the trainers, he came through the other side with three qualifications under his belt.

“They were all brilliant. I couldn't recommend it enough for someone my age who's looking to get into the industry, walking away with three qualifications.”

Investing in the people who will shape the industry

That is what why we developed the Young Person’s Foundation.

It's not simply about putting a young engineer through a course and handing them a certificate at the end. It's about creating opportunities for people at the beginning of their careers - helping them gain knowledge, build confidence and see a future for themselves within the fire safety industry.

We'd like to thank Brandon and Kai for sharing their experiences, and the team at Defend and Protect for supporting their development.

Find out more about the Young Person's Foundation and see the latest training opportunities at britishfireconsortium.org.uk/young-persons-foundation.