Being the CCTV operative – being the security bookkeeper

However simple the job role of a CCTV operative may appear to be, there are a lot of challenges and responsibilities associated with it. It is generally invisible to the common eyes as they often consider that the job role requires you to be in the control room and stare all day long at the monitors. Truth be told, the field is far more extended and the surveillance teams need to do a lot more than simply sitting around and staring at the screens. Some of the prime responsibilities include:    

      ·         Operating the various surveillance equipment
·         Keeping track of activities taking place within the premises
·         Maintaining effective communication with the other security personnel and higher authorities
·         Maintaining health and safety standards within and outside the monitor room
·         Restricting access of unauthorised individuals to the control room
·         Record, preserve and present evidence if required
·         Help the other security operatives to ensure safety and security of the premises and work as a team to increase efficiency

The SIA CCTV training course helps you to develop all the skills and knowledge associated with the job role.

How can the SIA CCTV training course help you?

There are a lot of benefits that you can get by joining the SIA CCTV training course. To begin with, the training providers being recognised by the SIA abides by the regulated syllabus of the body. That means you will be taught all the essential elements of working in the private security industry of the United Kingdom. Also, most of the training providers have served long in the industry and is experienced about the problems and issues that you may face on your daily job. For this reason, a lot of group individual activities will be organised by the trainer to help the candidates develop practical skills. As the trainer would also be sharing his experiences, you would surely become well-versed with the job requirements. Further, choosing an SIA recognised training provider makes the license application process much easier.

What are the other security training course options?

Apart from the SIA CCTV training course, the door supervisor course, security guard training and first-aid training have also found increased popularity in the UK in recent times. Nowadays, individuals are applying for more than one course to obtain multiple licenses. It provides them with an essential boost in their career path. Not only they can apply to more open scopes but also expect an increased pay rate. But there are a few factors, on which the pay rate can vary, the most common ones including the qualifications of the candidate, experience earned and the job location. The ones holding more than one license are sure to receive increased pay rates in comparison to those holding a singular license. If you want to know more about the various licenses and the training courses, you can get in touch with the training providers to know more about the course contents.

Door supervisor training – what benefits can you get with the course?

The craze and popularity of the door supervisor training have been rising in the UK and increased counts of candidates are applying for the course. It is mainly because of the unparallel benefits that this SIA course offers to the candidates.

The door supervisor course is nothing but a job-oriented practical training that helps a candidate to start a career in the private security industry of the United Kingdom.

Main benefits of joining the door supervisor training

     1. Know the applicable laws and regulations

One of the prime necessities of working as a door supervisor is to be aware of the specific laws and regulations applicable to the private security industry of the United Kingdom. The door supervisor training covers all the essential elements of the purpose and helps you to become a master in the field.

     2.  Learn to deal with emergency procedures

As a security operative, you will be responsible for the safety and security of the staffs, visitors and all other individuals in the premises. Thus you must know of the processes to take care of emergency procedures such as fire or other cases and help all those in the premises to get to safety. The course training helps you to develop the essential skills for the purpose and earn the trust and reliability necessary for the purpose.

     3. Develop various practical skills

The job role of a door supervisor is totally dependent on practical skills. The door supervisor training helps you to develop the observational skills, skills of effective communication, team working and analytical skills necessary to work in the job role on a day-to-day basis. The course trainer organises various group activities to help the candidates develop the skills and also simulates real-life experiences to provide them with a better understanding of the job role and responsibilities.

     4. Simplified SIA license application

As you qualify the door supervisor course assessment from an SIA recognised training provider, the authorities will receive information about your performance. All you need to do is visit the official SIA website and apply for the specific license as per your eligibility and qualification. You will not have to wait to physically obtain the certificate and thus save time.

     5. Wide range of scopes

The door supervisor license permits you to work at a wide range of places including various licensed and unlicensed premises. But this facility is not available to those applying for the security guard training as the guard license is not applicable for working at licensed premises. With the door supervisor license, you can apply for an open scope at the various bars, pubs, hotels, retail outlets, corporate buildings, and many other places. If you the skills and qualifications, you can earn as much as £15.00 on an hourly basis.

To know more about this course, you can discuss with the various training providers in your area or with someone who is already working in the field. You can even search the web or look into the course details to know what exactly you should expect of the training.

PGCE courses – a comparative of the three different options

The PGCE courses are one of the most preferred routes for the teaching aspirants in the United Kingdom. The main reason for such craze of the course is the multiple options it provides the candidates with based on their capabilities, interest, and qualification.

Currently, there are three different types of PGCE courses that are offered in the UK. It can also be confusing for new candidates who are just thinking of joining this course to walk on a well-established career path. For this reason, we have come up with a basic comparison of what the different courses are for and what exactly do they offer to the candidates.

A comparative study of the different PGCE courses

The three types of PGCE training options are compared below in a tabular form.

PGCE for Primary Education	PGCE for Secondary Education	PGCE for Further/Adult learning
This PGCE course is ideal for anyone who wants to work with the young learners, especially up to the 6th year.	As the name suggests, this course is ideal for those who want to develop a career as a secondary school teacher and teach the learners from the 6th year onwards.	This option is appropriate for those teaching aspirants who want to take on a teaching job role in the colleges or conduct classes of adult education and further learning.
This is one of the most preferred options among all the PGCE courses.  That means the rate of competition is high for this training.	This course is also popular but the craze is not as much as that of the PGCE training for working as a primary school teacher.	The skill sets of working in the sector of further education vary from those of the primary and secondary teachers. While the competition is less, the scopes of career growth are very high.
If you want to apply for this course, you must meet the basic entry requirements. It requires no subject specialisation and helps you become a well-established teacher from scratch.	To apply for this course, you must have a qualifying certificate in your subject of specialisation. That means you will be responsible to teach the specific subject to the entire class.	A level-3 qualification in your subject of specialisation is a must to apply for this course. As you will be working with the learners from the sectors of adult education, the teaching approaches will also be different and you must be capable of meeting the same.
The training offers level-7 qualifying certificate to the successful candidates.	The training offers level-7 qualifying certificate to the successful candidates.	The training offers level-7 qualifying certificate to the successful candidates.

The teaching job role requires immense dedication. If you are still unsure about which PGCE course to choose, you can get in touch with the training providers in your area. Whatever you choose, it must be aligned with your passion and interest if you want to excel in your chosen path although all of the courses offer a level-7 qualification.

Top benefits of joining the SIA CCTV course

There are multiple benefits that the SIA CCTV course offers a candidate with. This is one of the main reasons that have made this training one of the most chosen courses among the security operative aspirants of the United Kingdom. Some of the main benefits of the course include:

1. Helps you to develop the skills of observation

The SIA CCTV course helps you to learn the basics of what to look for, where to look for and how to look, thus helping you sharpen your observation skills. To be a good observer – it is one of the prime necessities for any CCTV operative in the industry.

2. Guides you towards becoming a better team player

As a CCTV operative, you will need to work in a team with the other security personnel including the door supervisors, guards, and others. The course engages you in various group activities to develop the skills.

3. You develop skills of effective communication

Effective communication is of utmost importance in the security industry to be in touch with the other team members (to ensure safety and security of the premises) and higher officials (to report incidents). The course helps you develop this skill.

4. You will learn to use the various CCTV equipment 

Needless to mention, you will learn the methods to operate the various security equipment and use them effectively to ensure full watch over the premises.

5. Helps you to learn the various standards of health and safety

You will be in command of the control room and must maintain the various industrial standards to ensure the health and safety of the other security operatives of the premises. The course covers all the elements necessary to help you learn the basics, thus making you eligible to be in-charge of the control room.

6. Makes your SIA license application easier

Choosing an SIA recognised training provider for the CCTV course makes your license application process much easier. This is due to the fact that the training provider already notifies the authority about your performance and you will not have to wait to obtain the certificate physically before applying for the license.

7. It helps you develop other theoretical and practical knowledge of working in the industry

The training course takes all the fundamentals of working in the private security industry of the UK into account and helps the candidates to become a better security operative. Some of the other skills that the CCTV training helps you to develop include keeping a record of activities, preserving evidences, restricting access of others to the feed room, etc.

8. If you have another SIA license, it can help you get a hike

The SIA CCTV course helps you to develop your scopes of growth in the private security industry of the United Kingdom. If you already have an SIA license, earning this second license can help you to increase your hourly pay rates, thus providing you with an opportunity to advance a step further in the industry.

Upon successful completion of the course assessment, you are just one step away from becoming a successful CCTV operative and it is just a matter of time before you land into your first job in the industry.

How good are the teaching assistant courses?

It can be tough for a trainee teacher aspirant to become a full-fledged teacher in the first shot. This is because any of the teaching job roles needs you to have a lot of practical skills and firm theoretical knowledge to work in the industry.

While you can apply for the level-5 Diploma in Education and Training or the level-7 Postgraduate Certificate in Education, it can be a wrong choice especially if you are totally new to the field. Now you may be wondering about the right step you should take. The level-3 teaching assistant course is one of the best options for the beginners, even if you are familiar with the teaching job role or are already serving in the industry.

What is the teaching assistant course all about?

Let us now take a look at the details of the teaching assistant course. The course is currently being offered by a lot of training providers across the entire United Kingdom. You can choose the online training mode if you want to save your time, money and effort. This also allows you to carry on with the course progress at your own pace. In general, the course duration is stretched over a period of 16 weeks but you can get done with it within 12 weeks as well if you are capable enough. Also, being a distance learning course, the training does not need you to leave your current job for the purpose.

How can the teaching assistant course help you?

The teaching assistant course covers the following:

• It helps the candidates to develop an understanding of the development of the learners
• The course teaches you the basic skills of working with the young learners, attending their needs on an individual or group basis and even motivate them to attend the course sessions
• You will also need to engage them in various group and individual activities apart from the classroom activities
• The training also helps you to learn how to plan the study sessions, prepare the classroom for its delivery and help the teacher to assess the candidates based on their performance
• The job role also needs you to have fluent skills of communication necessary to communicate with the guardians and help the teachers in many non-academic administrative processes

As a teaching assistant, you will be responsible to safeguard the well-being of the pupils, supervise them during the recess breaks and play sessions, and constantly keep them under observation at all times. Upon successful completion of the course assessment through the submission of written assignments, you can consider the various schools in your location for open job scopes.

One thing you must remember is that it can be tough for you to bag in a good offer right at the beginning. Thus opting for voluntary scopes is one of the best decisions you can make. It will help you gather much-needed experience and even develop practical skills. After you are confident enough, you can apply for the higher degrees and get recognised as a teacher all across the nation.

Becoming a teaching professional – DET course for the aspirants

The teaching job role is currently considered to be one of the most satisfying career paths within the entire United Kingdom. This is especially because of the challenge as well as the satisfaction that the job offers to the candidates. But becoming a professional teacher and securing a respectable position in the education and training sector is not possible without proper training. If you are a trainee teacher aspirant, then it can be easy for you to lay the first step towards your successful career. All you need is to attend the teaching training course and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to work with young learners.

DET course – the best option

The DET course (Diploma in Education and Training) is a level-5 qualification that can ideally help you in the process. This training course has been ideally designed to cover all the basic elements of working as a teacher, especially in the fields of further education and adult learning. Whether you are just planning to take on the teaching job role or have been working in the field without recognition, this training is ideal for you.

The DET course is useful for the candidates due to the following purposes:

• It helps the candidates to develop the skills of observation to observe the progress of the candidates during the teaching sessions
• Over the course tenure, the candidate needs to submit specific assignments on the various course modules for the assessment of their theoretical learning. The 100 hours of teaching practice will also be used for your practical assessment
• The course will also teach you the importance of reflective practices and how to apply them on the job role
• During the course, you will also learn to plan, deliver and evaluate the practices of inclusive learning and teaching. It will also include the various assessment approaches and how to use them during the job

DET course entry requirements

• The necessary time to dedicate for the course
• Access to 100 hours at the least to conduct teaching practice
• Level-2 qualification in Mathematics and English
• Level-3 qualification in ICT, numeracy, and literacy if you want to take on these units
• Level-3 certification in your subject of specialisation is preferred
• A valid photo identity proof
• A Disclosure and Barring Service and a confirmation certificate of criminal background check

But you must take some time out to choose the right training provider as it plays a significant role in developing practical skills. You can either choose a classroom-based training if you are comfortable with physically travelling down to the place or look for an online option if you want to carry on with the course at your own pace. You must compare out the options before making the final decision.

How to apply for an SIA license?

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is responsible to maintain all the codes of conduct of the entire private security industry of the United Kingdom. That means it is mandatory for any individual wanting to develop a career in the industry to apply for the SIA license permit. This is because the license certifies that you, as a job seeker, have all the essential theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for the job role.

The first step towards license application

You must keep it in mind that a single SIA license is not applicable to work in all the departments. Specific licenses are issued by the authorities to the competent candidates to serve the specific departments. This implies that before you apply for the license, you must choose the department you are interested to work in. The major security departments in the UK include:

·         Door Supervisor, responsible to work at the various licensed as well as unlicensed premises and guard the doors to prevent the entry of unauthorised and unwanted individuals

·         Security Guard, responsible to guard the entire premises as a whole and work with the other security personnel in a team

·         CCTV operator, be in-charge of the control room and operate various equipment to maintain an effective watch all over the individuals within the premises

Thus, before you apply for the license, you must choose the field and job role that suits your lifestyle and passion. For this purpose, you can check out the various SIA security training courses offered in the nation and compare out the course modules and necessary skills of the specific to the department.

Applying for the SIA license

Joining any of the SIA security training courses you are interested in makes it much easier for you to apply for the license and subsequently the job role. Not only the training provider guides you on all the relevant topics but also notifies the SIA about your performance as soon as you qualify the course assessment. It saves you the time of waiting for the license application process until you physically obtain the certificate. After you have successfully completed the assessment, all you need to do is visit the official website of the SIA and apply for the specific license that you prepared for. It takes about a couple of weeks for the SIA to send you the license. Once you obtain the license, you can start applying for the open opportunities and get started in your chosen career path.

Can you apply for more than one license?

If you have the knowledge and skills, you can apply for as many security licenses as you want. Even if you do not have the skills, you can join the training from any of the SIA recognised training providers and develop the specific skills sets before you apply for the license. Applying for more than one license just helps you to increase your skills, expertise, and scopes of landing a job in the private security industry.

Common questions about the SIA door supervisor course

The door supervisor course, being one of the most preferred security training courses in London, often raises a lot of queries among the interested candidates. So we have taken the liberty to jot down some of the common questions and provide the answers to the same in order to aid you in making better decisions. Some of the most frequently asked questions in lieu of this course include:

     1.      Is the door supervisor course better than security guard training?

Well, the security guard training is not much different from the door supervisor course except the fact that the later allows you to work at the various licensed premises to guard the doors while the former teaches you the basics necessary to ensure the safety and security of the non-licensed premises such as corporate buildings, shopping malls, etc.

     2.      How can I apply for the SIA license after the training?

Once you have passed the assessment of the door supervisor training, you can visit the official website of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) and file an online application for your license. Considering you have completed the course from an SIA recognised training provider, you will not have to wait till you physically obtain the certificate in your hand as the SIA will automatically be notified of your performance.

     3.      Where can I work with the SIA door supervisor license?

With the SIA door supervisor license, you can apply at the various licensed premises, i.e. the places that serve alcohol to the visitors including the various clubs, pubs, restaurants as well as non-licensed premises including shopping malls, corporate offices, and various other places. As a door supervisor, you will be responsible to maintain a lookout on all those entering and leaving the premises and ensure that no unauthorised individual enters the building. You will also be responsible to escort individuals in case the situation demands. You will also need to help the visitors and thus you must also have effective skills in communication.

     4.      Can I apply to other courses after I have obtained the door supervisor license?

Applying for more than one SIA license just increases your chances of getting selected at the various open job opportunities of the UK private security industry. You can apply for the SIA CCTV training along with the door supervisor course to gain a significant boost in your chosen career path. You can choose a training course from any of the SIA recognised training provider and subsequently apply for the respective SIA license.

     5.      Should I choose the classroom-based training or the online mode?

Any job role of the security industry needs you to have well-etched practical skills. Thus applying to the classroom-based training sessions provides you the edge and helps you to develop the essential practical skills necessary to work in the job role through direct training with the mentor and participating in various group activities to develop the analytical skills necessary to solve various real-life issues.

If you have further queries, you can get in touch with the training providers to know more.