Supporting and Engaging the Next Generation: Entry Pathways and Barriers in Fire Safety
With an ageing workforce and increasing regulatory expectations, supporting the next generation of fire safety professionals has become a critical priority for the industry.
This session, in support of our next-gen network ambassador programme, will take a practical, structured look at how individuals enter the sector, and what is needed to attract, develop and retain new talent. The panel will begin by sharing first-hand experiences of entering the industry, before exploring how fire safety can be made a more visible and appealing career choice for young people.
The discussion will then move into key entry pathways, including apprenticeships and agency routes, and how these operate in practice for roles such as fire risk assessors, for example. From there, the session will address the main barriers to entry, including training costs, time to competence and commercial pressures, while also considering how competence, compliance and safety standards can be maintained from the outset. Finally, the panel will look ahead to what the industry needs in practice to better support the next generation, and how organisations can create clearer, more sustainable pathways into fire safety careers.
)
)
)
)
)
)