The SIA has finally announced a list of training courses which carry exemption from Core Competency Training.

The SIA state that Security Officers who have successfully achieved an award/qualification in a security discipline and hold a certificate, which has been awarded by a Qualifications and Curriculum Authority approved Awarding Body, may be exempt from Part 1 of the Core Competency Training.

Examples listed on their website of such exemptions are:

3 days Basic Job Training Award - SITO
3 days Basic Job Training Award - NOCN/SITO
2 day Basic Job Training Award - SITO*
2 day Basic Job Training Award - NOCN/SITO*
BTEC Intermediate Security Operations Award
NVQ Level 2 Security Guarding - SITO/City and Guilds/Edexcel
NVQ Level 2, Security, Safety & Loss Prevention - Edexcel
NVQ Level 2, Security, Safety & Loss Prevention - SITO/City and Guilds
SVQ Level 2, Security, Safety & Loss Prevention - SITO/SQA
Professional Guard Part 1 & 2 - SITO/City and Guilds
IISec Diploma in Security Management - NCFE
IISec Certificate in Security Management - City and Guilds
Knowledge of the Professional Security Officer Level 2 - SITO/City and Guilds
Knowledge of the Professional Retail Security Officer Level 2 - SITO/City and Guilds
Knowledge of the Advanced Security Officer Level 3 - SITO/City and Guilds

The SIA is tasked, amongst other things with increasing the training standard of private, professional security officers and has severly let the industry down by including SITO BJT (and equivelant courses) amongst others in this list.
The Guild formally challenges the SIA in providing proof that SITO BJT is an improvement for the industry- the very title of the course 'BASIC JOB TRAINING' speaks for itself.

No Security Officers will be exempt from the new Conflict Management criteria. Any further exemptions to this list will be advised on the SIA web site.

Duration of Exemption
The exemptions will remain in force until the SIA is satisfied that the SIA approved qualification is available throughout England and Wales

Overseas Qualifications

Applicants from overseas who have a relevant qualification in security or another related discipline may present their certificates to an awarding body for part accreditation. All overseas applicants will be required to demonstrate that they can communicate in English and that they have attended training in subjects relating to legislation in England and Wales (to meet the learning objectives of Part 1 Session 8) as well as communication skills and conflict management (to meet the learning objectives of Part 2).

No disrespect to SITO but if the BJT and equivelant courses, considered to be the 'industry standard' were adequate for preparing security personnel for a career in the industry, there would have been no need for the Government to introduce a minimum training standard criteria for licencing.

The SIA has done the industry a great dis-service by not increasing the basic standard of security officer 'job' training and that along with its failure to introduce a tiered licencing system means that for many, they will have to think long and hard about which area's of the industry they are going to continue working in - if any!
For those working in multiple theatres of theindustry, this is a major financial blow with each catagory of licence costing £190.