Bradford College’s Fire Security & Alarms Apprentices are set to benefit from £3,500 worth of industry-standard fire and security equipment, thanks to a growing partnership with Checkmate Fire.
Checkmate Fire, one of the UK’s independent fire safety businesses, and their generous donation will support the training and development of the College’s apprentices.
The donation includes a range of equipment currently used across the fire and safety industry, such as CCTV cameras and an NVR (Network Video Recorder), intruder alarms, Paxton access control systems, alongside fire panels, smoke and heat detectors, and sounders from different manufacturers.
By training with equipment, they are likely to encounter throughout their careers, apprentices can put their classroom learning into practice while developing the technical skills and confidence needed in the workplace.
The donation forms part of a developing relationship between Bradford College and Checkmate Fire, with the employer already supporting apprentices through the College and looking at further opportunities to collaborate.
For Checkmate Fire, supporting apprenticeships is not only about developing its own workforce but helping address the wider skills shortage facing the industry.
Michael Heydon, Managing Director of Checkmate Fire’s Active Fire and Security Division, said:
“There’s a skills shortage across the country in the trade, whether that be fire security, joinery, fire prevention or elsewhere. Unless we start investing in the future now, it’s only going to get worse.
“As a business, we have an ambition to double in size, and the way we’re going to support that is by investing in the future and investing in future generations.”
Checkmate currently has apprentices progressing through Bradford College, including employees who have recently completed their three-year apprenticeship programme and another apprentice beginning their first year.
Michael added that the partnership allows the company to play an active role in developing the future workforce and provide valuable feedback about the skills employers need.
He said: “It allows us to participate and understand what is needed for apprentices. It allows us to give our feedback on what we require as a business and what we need our apprentices, future engineers and future leaders to be able to do.”
Access to current equipment and employer expertise helps bridge the gap between learning at College and putting those skills into practice in the workplace.
Natalie Toas, Head of People and Development at Checkmate Fire, explained:
“We’re giving apprentices a real-life working example of what’s out there. We’re not just teaching them the theory; it’s the practical side as well.
“By involving us as employers, we can feed into that and show what happens in the real world when they get out there.”
Checkmate Fire is also looking beyond equipment donations, with plans to share the knowledge and experience of people from across its business with Bradford College students and apprentices.
This could include experts in areas such as fire engineering, design and fire risk assessments, as well as employees sharing their own career journeys to demonstrate where an apprenticeship can lead.
Michael began his own career through an apprenticeship in the Army before moving into the fire and security industry and progressing to Managing Director.
He said: “It’s not just about today. It’s about five, ten or twenty years’ time and what this apprenticeship can lead to.
“There are so many options that start with a well-rounded apprenticeship.”
The partnership also demonstrates the vital role employers can play in helping Bradford College develop programmes that reflect the changing needs of industry.
Through regular communication between employers, tutors, and apprentices, businesses can provide feedback on training, share specialist knowledge, and help ensure learners are developing the skills required in the workplace.
Michael Patra, Fire & Security Skills Coach at Bradford College, said:
“The realistic input of people who are actually employed in the industry is going to be invaluable to our apprentices.
“There’s a lot of experience out there that can be shared. If apprentices can see someone who has been through an apprenticeship themselves, worked in the industry, progressed and continued developing, it shows them what they can achieve.”
The relationship is set to continue developing, with Checkmate Fire exploring further apprenticeship opportunities across its wider business and potential collaboration between Bradford College and the company’s training academy in Halifax.
For Natalie, investing in training and development ultimately comes back to the responsibility of the fire safety industry: “You’re not just there tinkering with a fire panel. You’re doing it to ultimately enable the safe evacuation and protection of lives.”
From taking on an apprentice to sharing industry expertise, providing work experience or helping shape future training, there are many ways employers can work with Bradford College.
Partnerships with employers like Checkmate Fire give our students and apprentices valuable exposure to the workplace while helping businesses develop a pipeline of skilled people equipped for their industry.
For businesses facing skills shortages or thinking about the future of their workforce, Michael has one clear message:
“Invest now for the future.”
Interested in working with Bradford College? Get in touch with our team to discover how apprenticeships and employer partnerships can support your organisation and help develop your future workforce.
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