A new BPEC End-point Assessment (EPA) facility for Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) apprenticeships has been officially opened at BPEC's headquarters in Derby, marking a major milestone in the continued expansion of the FESS apprenticeship programme across the UK.
The FESS Assessment Bays were formally opened by Neil Collishaw, CEO of BPEC, and Trevor Jenks, National Training Manager at SSAIB and Super Sector Lead for the FESS sector (SGL10.2). This new facility will play a vital role in increasing local access to EPA for learners completing the highly successful FESS apprenticeship, helping to meet growing demand across the sector.
This launch is a significant component of BPEC and SSAIB’s shared commitment to Empowering Excellence and supporting the national Routes to Competence programme. The EPA facility will deliver assessments for the FESS apprenticeship standard, ensuring it continues to meet the needs of industry and employers alike.
Trevor Jenks commented, “As the industry's technical Inspectorate SSAIB is the driving force behind the FESS route to competence and raising the bar within our sector. This is a major step forward in providing local accessibility against the industry-relevant technical assessment competence standards needed to meet the challenges of the fire and security technicians of the future.”
The new EPA facility builds on previous collaborative successes, including the launch of the FESS Experienced Worker Assessment (EWA) facility by Banham Academy - also located in the same building as the BPEC HQ - demonstrating the strong network of training and assessment excellence under one roof.
Neil Collishaw added, "At BPEC, we are committed to supporting high-quality apprenticeships and skills development. This new EPA facility is a tangible step in providing accessible, industry-relevant assessment for the next generation of fire and security technicians."
This latest development will help to ensure that the sector continues to deliver high standards, technical competence, and increased opportunities for apprentices nationwide.
About BPEC
BPEC is a leading provider of qualifications, assessments, training materials, and certification for the building services engineering sector. Dedicated to upskilling the workforce, BPEC supports technical excellence and provides trusted assessment solutions across the UK.
