Joseph Smith Began a Career Change Through a Business Fire Safety Apprenticeship

Joseph Smith has used the work-based learning opportunities offered by his Business Fire Safety Apprenticeship (Level 3) to begin a career change. Previously a mechanical testing engineer, Joseph applied for a position at County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service where an apprenticeship was part of the training process. In 2019-20, 322,500 people joined an apprenticeship programme in England from a wide variety of backgrounds; some straight from school or college, and some, like Joseph, who take advantage of a paid training opportunity to gain a new qualification and switch career paths.

Joseph is still in training but so far he says, “I have been enjoying learning how to operate the appliance pumps, how to correctly pitch ladders, the range of legislation covering business fire safety and how to carry out audits, how to conduct safety and well-being visits around the community and how to target reducing arson in the county”. The training offered to Apprentice Firefighters is hugely varied and Joseph says, “I recognise I have a lot more to learn when it comes to risk critical operational training, such as road traffic collisions, breathing apparatus, and water rescue, but I am very much looking forward to developing my skills in these important areas that help keep the public in my local area safe. There are lots of resources to help with training, and my tutor has been amazing at providing guidance and being supportive.”

To mark the end of his apprenticeship, Joseph will complete an End-Point Assessment. This typically involves a multiple-choice knowledge test, a day-long practical observation on the job, and an hour-long professional discussion, which will give Joseph the chance to speak professionally about all the new things he has learned. Speaking about the assessment Joseph says, “the apprenticeship training will prepare me well. Although I will definitely read over my notes, I won’t just be practising on mock situations, I will have gained confidence working in real-life situations too”. SFJ Awards is also on hand to guide employers in preparing their apprentices for their End-Point Assessment.