This week Awarding body NOCN has confirmed that the Installation of Fire Resistant Walls and Linings Qualification will now be available as a Vocational Qualification within the Interior Systems Installers family of qualifications.  

This qualification was previously included in the Passive Fire Protection vocational qualification and following a review involving discussions with FIS members and the FIS Skills Board, the organisation has worked with the Association of Specialist Fire Protection and CITB (who are responsible for Occupational Standards in the Construction Industry) to instigate this restructure.  The qualification is now an option within the interior system family of qualifications and can be endorsed on the CSCS card, thus helping those working in Dry Lining prove competence in the Installation of fire resistant walls and linings.

The Awarding organisation NOCN has committed to administering the qualification which will be available via NOCN accredited centres: https://trainingcentre-search.nocn.org/ later this year.  When the qualification is fully available FIS Approved Training Providers will be advised and members should be able to acquire this qualification with an FIS member discount.  In addition CITB will pay the vocational qualification achievement grant of £600 to organisations in scope for the construction industry levy.

Speaking about the these changes, FIS Skills and Training Lead, George Swann stated:

“We appreciate that the qualification landscape can be quite confusing and it is vital that we apply the logic of the way people work to the way that the qualifications are structured.  As new competency requirements come in to force aligned to the Building Safety Act, this qualification option will support FIS Members in demonstrating competence in a more onerous compliance environment.”

For information on new competency requirements in the Building Regulations and implementing a Competency Management Plan, click here