A new beginning for building control

June is the month of longest day of year – the summer solstice – traditionally associated with change and new beginnings. So unsurprisingly June is also the month when school students finish their exams and look to their futures. 

It is in this June spirit of looking to the future and new beginnings that I want to appeal to every LABC member – whether new to our network or long serving – to think about their future and the future of our profession.

The Building Safety Act sets out a clear new direction for the building control profession. One that focusses on standards, ethics and competence. In the new regime simply having a qualification earned years ago or maintaining professional membership won’t be enough. Building control professionals will have to be competent and will have to prove it and prove it regularly. 

Now with the HSE confirming that the registration of the profession will open in October next year and will be mandatory from October 2024 the profession has a matter of months to get ready.

So, we’re at an important junction and I understand some of our network may feel the direction we’re travelling is not for them. I know that some of our members are anxious about the focus on education and learning and having to be formally tested – I know how you feel – and share some of that anxiety. I took my qualifications 30 years ago in an era when simply having an exam pass, on the job experience or a subscription to a professional body was enough. I know if I was still practising, I would view with apprehension having to complete a formal learning course and taking an exam decades after I last sat in an exam room. It’s tough – but it is the right way to go. 

And I know some are worried that they may not pass. The thing is a robust assessment and validation procedure can’t be easy and can’t pass everyone all the time. I see that as a strength not a weakness. Currently around a third of people who take our assessments don’t pass first time – that means it is a credible test. We provide support and guidance for those who don’t pass and we’re increasingly finding professionals who prove their competence gain kudos and increase career opportunities as a result.