Page 57 - SyI Quarterly - Q3 and Q4 Edition 2023

Do we need a structured

Career Development

Pathway for Trainers in our

sector?

David Brook MSyI

David Brook MSyI is the current chair of the SEATS Special
Interest Group and has a proven track record of Education
and Training.

As the first and currently only Chartered Teacher working within the
Private Security Industry (PSI), I am often asked my views about the
standard of trainers within our sector and whether there needs to be a
mandatory career development pathway linked to a set of
professional standards.

Before I offer my opinion, I wish to make it clear that there are many excellent trainers/facilitators
in the sector who do not hold any training qualifications. A training qualification does not mean that
you can teach nor does the absence of one mean you cannot teach.

However, as a sector seeking alignment with National Occupational Standards (NOS) I do believe
that there is a need to look more closely at this issue and consider how we develop those who
have the responsibility to train our workforce.

Do we need a structured career development pathway for trainers in our sector?

To add some context and support my own view I intend to refer to empirical research I
conducted for my MA in Education, Extremism, and Cohesion (a link to this research can be found
in the Security Institutes/SEATS Sig Library).

In doing so I wish to make it clear that any opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect
those of my employers or The Security Institute.

In 2021, I conducted a critical review of UK policy interventions preventing and countering violent
extremism and their impact on community safety and the implications for training within the PSI.

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