Door Industry Journal - Spring 2021

7 THE door industry journal spring 2021 Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk Industry News Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) and Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) ‘Join Forces’ to Create Entrance Systems Alliance (ESA) Tamworth-based trade association, the Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has ‘joined forces’ with the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA), to launch a new venture. The Entrance Systems Alliance Limited (ESA) has been founded as an assessment centre to offer NVQ (National Vocational) qualifications to the industries served by both organisations. These include door and gate systems, such as fire doors, automated gates and powered pedestrian doors. The NVQ is a competence-based qualification centred on national occupational standards. These standards are statements of performance that describe what competent people in an occupation are expected to be able to do. The NVQ is achieved through assessment and is required for those seeking a formal qualification. It is also a pre-requisite for anyone wishing to obtain a Blue Skilled Worker CSCS card that enables them to work on a construction site, independently. DHF remains one the oldest trade associations in the industry, formed in 1897, and is the undisputed ‘go to’ body for technical knowledge, information, advice, and practical help as well as training. It has more than 500 members, and in 2019, trained more than 1000 people. And despite the challenges presented by COVID- 19 throughout 2020, it continued to provide training courses, face-to-face when possible (albeit adhering to social distancing requirements) and online. It continues to offer a ‘Distance Learning Programme’ (DLP) with training delivered via a mix of pre-recorded videos, presentations, tutorials and examinations taken via an online facility. ADSA was founded in 1985 to ensure its member companies offer superior levels of safety for pedestrian automatic doors. Its objective is to promote the highest standards in automatic doors and help specifiers and customers obtain the best solution for their requirements. ADSA member companies supply more than 75% of the UK market. Collaboration on the Entrance Systems Alliance was a natural progression, with DHF and ADSA currently sharing the same assessors and trainers for the NVQ qualification, as DHF’s Head of Commercial Operations and an ESA Director, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens, explains: “We are delighted to launch Entrance Systems Alliance and are already offering the industry NVQ qualifications through this new assessment centre,” she says. “ESA is working to ensure the very highest standards continue to be met with regards to industry training and compliance, with the mantra being Education, Standards, Advancement. ESA will not only focus on NVQ’s but going forward, it will also offer additional benefits, such as the issuing of joint CSCS cards. Presently, DHF and ADSA share the same partnership scheme with each organisation having the capability to issue cards. It will make sense for this to go through a single channel to offer one card.” She continued, “It has always been the ambition of DHF to offer a ‘one stop shop’ for our members and the industry. DHF is now realising that ambition and working with the leading not-for-profit trade association for powered pedestrian doors takes it to another level.” ADSA’s Managing Director and Director of ESA, Ken Price, adds: “To establish a clearly-defined route towards professional qualifications for those employed in the powered pedestrian door industry is of great importance to ADSA. Partnering with DHF and creating the Entrance Systems Alliance is the first and most critical step to creating our own ‘learning centre of excellence’. We are very pleased to be working together.” ESA offers three NVQs, two Level 2 NVQ Diplomas for Door, Gate and Shutters Systems, one for repair and one for installation, and the Level 2 Certificate in Loading Bay Equipment – installation or maintenance. The ESA website is now live and further information about the NVQ’s offered can be found here: www.esa.uk.com .