Stacey Lucas, President of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA)
With increasing regulatory scrutiny enhancing the need for greater accountability throughout the construction industry, including the building automation sector, the route to verifying competence continues to evolve. Even more so when you consider industry-accredited competency cards were phased out in 2024. Stacey Lucas, President of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA), discusses the need for those in the sector to reassess competence and reveals how the association is providing more opportunities for engineers to develop skills and validate this knowledge and expertise.Â
In response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the subsequent introduction of the Building Safety Act in 2022, regulatory scrutiny across the construction sector, including building automation, has significantly intensified. The phasing out of Grandfather Rights at the end of 2024 has further underscored the need for professionals to formally verify their competence through qualifications and continuous development.
These changes are having a positive impact on driving up quality and transparency in the sector and aim to ensure that those working in the construction industry remain competent to fulfil the role they undertake, and have the necessary qualifications through initial verification and ongoing revalidation. New sector competency cards and – in the future, renewals – are obtained on this basis.
This ever-tightening regulatory scrutiny and the phasing out of industry-accredited competency cards can make proving competence a real challenge, but one that BCIA believes the industry must embrace in order to remain compliant and raise quality standards. Additionally, it will cement the reputation of Building Controls and Automation as an essential technology not only for safety but also helping to decarbonise the built environment.
How the BCIA is providing the solution
The BCIA is recognised as the sector’s representative body and one that has a deep understanding of how the sector operates. It therefore works with the industry on programmes that aim to drive up quality assurance standards, upskill the workforce, and champion the reputation and awareness of the industry. The association has worked with employers on the competency pathway for the sector and made significant investments in programmes that support employers and their teams. This included the development of a Level 4 Building Controls Engineer Apprenticeship, the only apprenticeship for the sector that results in a relevant qualification for BEMS professionals. Furthermore, BCIA also funded the development of an Experienced Worker Assessment to support those without formal qualifications to obtain certification and apply for their BEMS ECS cards and continues to invest in technical training courses to support workforce development.
Despite this progress which places the industry in a keen position for its competency and skills provision, regular revalidation of competency is the next aspect to develop, so that the route to competency for the sector is clear and attainable.
Regulators are monitoring competency checks on site and main contractors are pro-actively specifying card requirements for staff working on their contracts. Meanwhile, insurers are increasingly asking for evidence of competency. Equally, public sector contracts and in-house BMS teams are required to evidence competency for compliance.
In a growing industry where off-the-job time can be calculated by business lost, business owners must embrace competency relevant to their requirements and utilise these standards to augment their credentials and standing in the market.
Consequently, the BCIA is working closely with industry leaders to develop a revalidation scheme that is timely, robust, meets health and safety requirements, and fully validates knowledge, skills, and experience in a consistent way.
It will also be consulting with the sector to help shape what form revalidation takes, what methods can be utilised to assess that current competency levels are to the required standard and how frequently it is needed based on the pace of technological change.
In September, as part of its designated role, the association has been tasked with developing the full-career competency framework for BEMS. In addition, it will issue a survey and host online roundtables to its members and the rest of the sector, inviting views on potential forms of revalidation and how they could be undertaken.
As the building automation sector adapts to a more regulated and competence-driven landscape, the BCIA is leading efforts to ensure that professionals obtain the training and development they need while validating skills and experience. Through strategic training initiatives, robust certification pathways, and upcoming revalidation frameworks, the association is committed to supporting the workforce at every stage of their career.
To stay compliant, competitive, and future-ready, all sector professionals and employers are therefore encouraged to actively engage with the BCIA’s consultation process and take advantage of the available resources.
If you would like to get involved in the consultation, please visit: https://www.bcia.co.uk/consultation
