Join our June Apprentices

CONSIDERING signing up apprentices on our June 2023 cohort for the Level 4 Fire Safety Inspector Apprenticeship which includes the Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety?

There is still time and a few places available to those who act quickly and book now.

To help with your decision, below are some of the questions and information requests – complete with answers – aired at our recent virtual Apprenticeship Q&A sessions for employers ahead of the start of our first cohort this month

They include crunch questions that our apprenticeship team has observed occur to organisations just as they get set to proceed down the route that promises to upskill their fire safety officers and enhance employee career prospects:

Please provide an overview of your Level 4 Apprenticeship programme

The Xact apprenticeship training programme lasts 21 months. A further six months is required to complete End Point Assessment. That’s 27 months in total.

The programme consists of 10 modules:

1. Introduction to the Role of Fire Safety Inspector
2. Principles of Fire Safety
3. Principles of Means of Escape
4. Auditing Complex Premises
5. Regulated and Licensed Venues
6. Workplace Audit
7. Building Regulations & Technical Guidance
8. Fire Safety Order Enforcement
9. Serving a Notice
10. Drafting a Notice

Each module is made up of directed pre-course learning hosted on our bespoke XLE online learning platform, followed by a period of expert-led classroom input and then module assessment.

Successful completion of assessments leads to achieving of the Level 4 Diploma in Fire Safety, which is now a mandatory qualification within the new apprenticeship standard. 

The maximum funding band for this apprenticeship is £11,000.00

See further details of the Apprenticeship Learner Journey can be our Fire Safety Inspector Level 4 Apprenticeship Brochure.

How is your apprenticeship programme delivered?

Our apprenticeship training can be delivered virtually, face-to-face or a blend of both, offering flexibility for employers.

The Xact virtual model is delivered by a minimum of two of our specialist tutors via our XLE online platform. This gives learners the opportunity to use break-out rooms and gain support from a tutor, as they would in a classroom normally. 

Face-to-face delivery is offered to employers at their location as closed cohorts, exclusive to employers meeting minimum apprenticeship numbers, or at our partner training site Yarnfield Park, Staffordshire.

What support will Xact give to my apprentice?

A sector-experienced Xact Apprenticeship Mentor will support your apprentice. They will conduct a progress review involving the apprentice and their line manager or another workplace representative. 

Where apprentices have not achieved Level 2 English and Maths, Xact will also support the individual to gain Functional Skills Qualifications awarded by Highfield Qualifications through a specialist online learning platform and one-to-one tutoring.

Each learner is provided with hard-copy course materials and also will have access to a wide range of additional resources and supporting materials through our XLE online learning platform.

Reasonable adjustments to support apprentices learning will be available throughout the programme. Apprentices will also have access to support and welfare services offered by our Safeguarding team.

What support do I need to give to my apprentice?

You will need to ensure that your apprentice is provided with a minimum of 20 per cent of their normal working hours to conduct their apprenticeship. 

The Xact apprenticeship programme will be detailed in full before the start, so that the apprentice and line manager can plan leave and other key work activities around the learning activities and scheduled classroom training.

You will also need to ensure that your apprentice is supported by a line manager or individual that can act as a workplace mentor. 

This individual should be able to provide guidance and support to the apprentice on how to carry out their day-to-day work activities and also fully participate in the regular apprenticeship progress reviews. 

The workplace supervisor/mentor should also be in a position to be able to provide or arrange opportunities within the workplace to allow the apprentice to demonstrate that they meet the apprenticeship requirements.

Where an apprentice has not achieved Level 2 English and Maths, you will need to provide them with additional learning time (on top of the 20 per cent ) to complete these qualifications.

How do employers who are not fire and rescue services support their apprentices to meet the requirement to enforce fire safety legislation?

The apprenticeship standard requires learners to understand the process of enforcement and how they should respond to an enforcement notice, including supporting formal investigations.

The trailblazer group have been careful to ensure that the new standard is inclusive to all employers, not just fire rescue services, and this element is assessed within the context of the apprentice operating in line with their organisational policies and procedures.

If an individual already has some prior learning in fire safety, can this be recognised?

An individual who had completed either Skills for Justice Awards Level 3 Certificate in Fire Safety or Level 3 Business Fire Safety Advisor Apprenticeship would be eligible for some prior learning to be recognised. This would mean that the apprenticeship programme would take less time.   

When is your next cohort planned for the Level 4 Apprenticeship?

Our next Level 4 Apprenticeship cohort is scheduled for June 2023, with another cohort planned for September.

We want to proceed. What happens next?

Please contact apprenticeships@xact.org.uk Our Apprenticeship Manager Rachel Willis will be in touch to start your organisation’s apprenticeship journey.