2 minute read
Foreword with Mike Reddington
spectrum Summer 2021
For the second time in just under over a year, the BSIA held its flagship event, the British Security Awards online due to the continued uncertainty of COVID-19.
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Although we were restricted in holding a large-scale event to celebrate the talent and commitment of our industry ’s finest, we were inundated by entries, receiving a record amount equating to over 50% more nominations since we rebranded the event in 2018. Once again in 2021, the security industry demonstrated its commitment to keeping people, property and places safe by presenting us with an outstanding display of talent, innovation and best practise making it no easy task for our panel of independent judges. You can read about who won on pages 9-11.
C H I E F E X E C U T I V E ' S F O R E W O R D In the last quarter we also announced our next major event of the year, the inaugural National Shred Day. In partnership with the charity Crimestoppers, this national event is due to take place on Saturday 2 October at multiple locations across the United Kingdom.
The event is an opportunity for small businesses and members of the public to safely dispose their confidential waste for a nominal donation, with our Information Destruction members providing their disposal units at regional sites, which will be advertised locally over the summer and be based in the car parks of large commercial parks in regions stretching from the West Country to Scotland.
Skills for Security, our wholly-owned subsidiary, continues growth at pace and recently announced the launch of a Security Officers Services Apprenticeship, initially in Scotland with the training delivered by the Security Industry Training Organisation (SITO). This landmark apprenticeship provides security officers with the most up-to-date training to develop the skills and expertise needed for a modern, professional security officer. Also, in light of recommendations that came out of the recent Manchester Arena Inquiry, Skills for Security has also launched two new top-up training courses for security officers. With the changing license requirements and the findings from the recent inquiry, employers have a duty to ensure the quality and professionalism of their staff, to which these courses are ideally suited. It has always been our goal to help improve the industry and increase the visibility of security as a career of choice.
We have also been active in lobbying government around the recent announcements on the 10-day rule, calling for clarification on how our members with double vaccinated staff can continue to work in their roles. With confidence, I hope that by the next quarter a great many of these restrictions that have affected our industry are in the past, and we can start moving on with planning for the next year.
Mike Reddington
Chief Executive
