Total Training answer the question: “How do I get a job like yours?” 

By David Barley: Director of Education and Learning at Total Training and Development Ltd.

There have been significant changes to the Building Control sector in recent times and the registration and retention of Building Inspectors has certainly been one of these. 

The challenges of recruiting people into the Building Control sector appears to be the number one priority, and how the industry does this is often found to be challenging. But here at TTD, we are addressing this, and are actively designing and developing qualifications and training processes, that are bespoke to the Building Control sector, that offer individuals a structured pathway to RBI registration. 

Behind the scenes, we have seen a significant increase in current RBI’s looking to upskill, as well as individuals currently working outside of Building Control enrolling onto qualifications, who are looking for careers in Building Inspector roles. Our current figures show that out of the 202 currently enrolled students, 56 are not currently employed as an RBI, which is extremely positive for the industry.

The recent introduction of the Level 3 Certificate in Building Control for example, was designed for school leavers, new entrants into the sector and current Business Support staff. The qualification covering five units provides an overview of the Building Regulations and their requirements. This extends to the Level 4 Diploma in Building Control Site Inspection and Plan Assessment where we have added two optional units, Unit 7: Competency Requirements in Building Control and Unit 8: Codes of Conduct and Professional Ethics, based on our knowledge of the BCCA process, and the NVQ level 6 Diploma in Building Control where we’ve added Unit 9: Fire Safety Project. 

Another exciting development currently in the final stages of development is the BIDPTP (Building Inspector Development Training Pathway) This Ofqual regulated process provides the RBI with a set of structured tasks with varying complexity based on their desired RBI upgrade. This is aimed at all RBIs in Classes 1,2, 3 and 4 and will demonstrate to the regulator that a formal training pathway is in place. 

We genuinely feel there is a real willingness for individuals to become RBI’s, the old saying “how do I get a job like yours?” is something which is very achievable with the correct guidance, training qualifications and support.