HARDWARE & SECURITY
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS GAINING MORE AND MORE TRACTION IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY – WHY IS THIS AND WHAT INDUSTRY SCHEMES ARE AVAILABLE ?
» THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN UK is currently experiencing an increased appetite for CPD . The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers ( GAI ) Technical Manager , Douglas Masterson , discusses why it is a vital part of the industry .
CPD refers to the process of tracking and documenting the skills , knowledge and experience that is gained both formally and informally on an ongoing basis , beyond any initial training .
Dame Judith Hackitt ’ s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety entitled “ Building a Safer Future ” was commissioned by the UK Government . This report placed a huge onus on CPD and stated the following “ Career development , learning and education , and its active management should be considered essential . Qualifications and training are only part of the answer – continuous professional development ( CPD ) throughout a career is needed to ensure levels of competence remain relevant .”
The Construction ( Design and Management ) Regulations 2015 alongside the Building Safety Act 2022 also put great emphasis on those involved in construction projects having the appropriate competence requirements in respect of their skills , knowledge , experience , and behaviour . Therefore , whilst initial training is of utmost importance , there is a direction of travel which seeks to ensure that those who are involved in construction products are not just trained but are fully up to date in their competence . Continuing Professional Development is seen as a concrete demonstration of this .
GAI have been at the forefront of industry competence since its inception in 1961 . This includes training at all levels , from the Foundation in Hardware to provision of in-depth product knowledge from the Certificate in Hardware and then right through to the internationally recognised DipGAI , which develops the skill of specifying fully compliant ironmongery products on to a project . In 2022 , GAI introduced three qualifications in the fields of access control and electric hardware ( DipAC ); Doors as Systems ( DipDS ) and Standards and Regulations ( CertSR ). The first recipients of these new qualifications have just been announced and will receive their awards at the Education Awards in November .
Therefore , whilst it is important to have the initial training , this does not provide a demonstration that skills and knowledge are current , which is where CPD comes in . Registered Architectural Ironmonger ( RegAI ) status is therefore of huge importance for all who have DipGAI , as it demonstrates that product knowledge is maintained and kept fully up to date with industry standards and latest developments .
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SEPTEMBER 2023
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