BCIA scheme assesses occupational competence of controls engineers

Building Controls Industry Association, National Electrotechnical Training, controls, BCIA, BMS, BEMS
Launching a new qualification for controls engineers — Steven Harrison (left), president of the Building Controls Industry Association, and Iain Macdonald, chief executive of National Electrotechnical Training.

Operatives in the building-controls sector can now have their competence certified by a scheme devised by the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) and National Electrotechnical Training (NET). Called the Building Controls Professional Assessment (BPCA), it is an assessment of occupational competence for apprentices and practising operatives in the controls industry.

The BPCA has been designed by the BCIA membership and NET to form the assessment of occupational competence for the BEMS NVQ level 3 diploma. The qualification has a combination of 18 mandatory knowledge and performance units that give learners an understanding of relevant legislation, procedures and principles of installing BEMSs.

The BPCA is based on the respected AM2 assessment for the electrical installation industry. Iain Macdonald, chief executive of NET, which owns AM2, said, ‘The BCIA invited NET to help them develop their own assessment of occupational competence for two reasons. First, there are parallels between the demands placed on controls professional and electricians and secondly because of the esteem in which the AM2 is held by the electrical industry.’

The BPCA used the AM2 as a template. NET worked closely with the BCIA team to develop its component parts — including practical assessment and theoretical tests that reflect the demands placed on professionals in the building controls industry and the expectations of that industry’s employers.’

Steve Harrison, president of BCIA, said, ‘For many years, there was no controls-specific training at the apprentice level. As a result, the BCIA established an NVQ in building energy management systems (BEMS). We now have a number of trainees undertaking this course who are benefitting from workplace learning and experience, backed by classroom instruction.’

At the end of their BEMS NVQ the apprentices will take an assessment of occupational competence (AOC), which reflects the course the apprentices have taken but also ensures that each candidate is assessed on the most important aspects of their future job.

‘The BPCA is a 2.5-day assessment which covers three main areas: installation and commissioning; fault finding, and a multiple-choice test which assesses knowledge or BEMS-related areas such as legislation and energy-efficiency issues.

Steve Harrison concludes, ‘Drawing on our experience with the AM2, we have come up with something that works equally well for the building-controls industry and reflects both the demands placed on professional and the expectations of employers.’

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