Skills for Security

Damning security’s leading players over what he perceived to be a lack of financial support for SITO, Clarke postulated on a future wherein security sided with the contract cleaning fraternity to form a strong Council that would stand the test of central Government scrutiny.

That particular scenario never materialised, of course, but following on from a two-year research and consultation process overseen by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), a skills body for the private security sector has finally seen the light of day. The $64,000 question is this... Will that body – entitled Skills for Security – truly herald a new era for skills development and training investment across the UK?

Underpinning the move is the news that SITO is being divested from the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) so that it may be incorporated at the heart of the new body (which is due to become fully operational on 1 January 2006).

A positive step indeed. Although SITO and the BSIA have always co-existed in perfect harmony, it’s arguable that the industry’s huge appetite for extended training in tandem with licensing now demands an entirely separate focus. This is feasible through a dedicated, independent body such as Skills for Security which is self-sustaining and will need the expertise available at SITO to thrive without subsidy.

The decision necessarily represents a major change for SITO. It is one that will alter long-established relationship dynamics with customers and partners, but the promise of greater recognition within the wider skills arena and, thus, access to additional resources cannot be ignored.

Ultimately, the structure of the new organisation – chaired by Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, and with Board members sourced from ASIS UK’s Chapter 208, The Security Institute, the GMB, the BSIA, the SIA and JSIC – is both holistic and specifically geared towards developing end user services that are employer-driven. In short, companies can now look to explore and expand upon the capabilities of their staff.

In Skills for Security, the SIA’s Sector Skills Project has delivered a practical solution. The industry must now work in perfect unison to build the strongest of all skills foundations.