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INDUSTRY COMMENT: BCIA Hope on the Horizon W
BCIA President Terry Sharp reflects on the past year and reports on some good news regarding BCIA apprentices.
ith Christmas suddenly just around the
corner, the mind wanders back to about a year
ago when we were all preparing for what has ultimately become known as the ‘Zoom’ Christmas as the country went back into lockdown. It was of course heart-breaking for so many families who were hoping to be together having been kept apart for so much of the year, but it was the only viable option to keep everybody as safe as possible.
The successful roll-out of the vaccinations has given us all some cause for optimism this year and although recent figures show we are far from being out of the woods yet, it has been pleasing to see public venues occupied again. This of course meant we were able to enjoy the BCIA Awards in September and the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA) Annual Luncheon in November. The BCIA also made its first trade show appearance since the lifting of lockdown restrictions at the Smart Buildings Show at ExCeL, London. It gave many companies the chance to showcase their latest innovations and catch up with industry colleagues. I also took part in a very
interesting panel discussion alongside BCIA vice-president Graeme Rees, Peter Behan of Group Horizon, the BCIA’s official training partner, and Andy Reakes from the Joint Industry Board. The discussion, titled ‘The Smart Buildings of the Future – why we need to start planning for them now’, focused on commercial buildings and what makes them smart and considered the issues surrounding the need for continued training and competency frameworks to ensure that the next generation of building controls engineers have the right skills to deliver true smart buildings in the future. Discussions such as these really help keep the BCIA’s finger on the pulse of what is going on in the sector and how we can contribute to its evolution.
First class
On the subject of the next generation of engineers, I am delighted to report that the first cohort of BCIA apprentices have started their BEMS Controls Engineer Apprenticeship with Group Horizon. The BEMS Controls Engineer Apprenticeship Standard is a three- year technical training programme that will address an industry-wide shortage of BEMS Controls Engineers who will use the technical skills they learn on the Apprenticeship to keep
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the buildings of tomorrow running efficiently. It offers a balance of on the job assessments and technical training which covers all aspects of the industry including Controls Hardware and Logic; Field Devices; Networking; Communication Protocols and Supervisor Software. Describing the course, Zach Stanley, a BEMS apprentice with Kendra Energy, said: “I was originally supposed to look for an electrical or mechanical apprenticeship as it seemed it was the best fit to pick one or the other because I didn’t have a great idea on what I wanted to do, but with this apprenticeship I am able to incorporate both in my works.
I am learning how buildings work, but I need to learn one with the other to fully understand how everything comes together. I am very happy to have chosen this industry and excited to see what happens next.” Applications for the second cohort recently closed and once again it is fully booked up. Further dates will be announced soon, and it is fantastic to see such excitement about our industry from people like Zach. I wish everybody a safe and Happy Christmas and I’ll hopefully see some of you in the New Year.
www.bcia.co.uk
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