ADSA: Competence Initiative Makes Progress

The Joint Competency Initiative (JCI), in which the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) is involved, is finalising its first framework for installers within the door, gates and shutter industry. 

ADSA is working with the Door Hardware Federation (DHF) and the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) to establish the first of the ‘routes to competence’ for the sector. This is due to be published next month (May).

The JCI was established in response to the Building Safety Act and is considered to be the most significant change to health and safety legislation within the construction industry over the past 40 years.

The framework for installers includes skills required for the fitting of powered pedestrian doors of all types, steel and wooden fire-rated doors, gates and shutter systems including steel fire doors.

Ken Price, ADSA’s Managing Director, said a ‘systematic process to identify what competence looks like’ had been established over the past six months. This will be used to create the many frameworks needed across the industry.

Each of the organisations on the working group has undertaken a situational analysis to identify ‘where are we now’ and research into training and qualifications needed for installer roles.

Ken comments: “Although we have found some excellent entry and specific skills training with regulated qualifications, we identified a gap around continuing professional development (CPD). This was mixed and largely unaccredited as installers moved through their career. We are all in agreement that this needs to be addressed and an accredited route to CPD created.”

Construction Industry Training Board

The group recently began working with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) which already has established national occupational standards for the construction industry.

Ken adds: “We had a call from the CITB which had heard about the work we were undertaking and offered to help. Without a shadow of a doubt, this support has moved us forward and will help us deliver the whole project a lot faster than if we were doing it on our own.”

The group has to identified up to 12 individual functions that each require a competency framework. This will include service and other skilled roles, such as procurement.

The JCI was initially formed by technical and procurement leads from BAM, ISG, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Lendlease, Mace, Morgan Sindall, Multiplex, Sir Robert McAlpine, John Sisk, Skanska and Wates Group.

Its vision has been to establish ‘proportionate and practical requirements relating to both organisational and individual competence of those working in the glazing, cladding and roofing sectors’.

This has led to the publication of a whitepaper, ‘Achieving Competence in the Building Envelope Sector’, which is available for download from ADSA’s website.

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