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Training gives competitive edge

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Martin Sayers finds that although there are no global training standards for the security industry, companies like G4S that focus on education are reaping benefits.

A service company is only as good as the people it employs. So, if your potential recruits have many fine qualities but fail to satisfy all your needs, your first priority has to be training.

It should come as no surprise to learn that, within the security industry, the leading companies have always emphasised the importance of training. In the UK, that decision helped the better companies focus on quality of service at a time when it was not required by legislation, as it is today.

But being trained to meet minimum standards is just one aspect of the story. Over the last two decades, the pace of change has been rapid and that has to be reflected in all companies’ attitudes to the training of personnel.

Gone are the days when all that the security industry required was someone in uniform whose physical presence acted as a deterrent to crime. In the 21st century top security firms consist of individuals who have been trained to the highest levels of professionalism.

G4S companies worldwide are at the forefront of this revolution and are determined to lead the field by investing millions in the training and development of new and existing employees.

Sweden: G4S Academy

Established in 2006 by G4S Security Services (Sweden) to meet an increasing demand for employee leadership, communication, sales and product training, the G4S Academy has already taken on a larger role.

It has extended its range of internal courses and is focusing in 2008 on more training for security officers. Customers are now being given access to the Academy’s training programmes, too.

US: top training institute

There is no federal oversight of the security industry in the US and only a fraction of states legislate a training requirement. This leaves training up to the industry and it has become a key differentiator in the sale of security services.

In recognition of the importance of training, G4S Wackenhut has developed a prestigious institute to train and develop its staff. The Wackenhut Institute (TWI), a division of G4S Wackenhut’s Human Resources Department, has been a formal part of the Wackenhut organisation from the earliest days of the company.

The facility leads the US security services industry in the provision of quality training materials, programmes and applications and was placed 43rd in the prestigious Training Magazine’s Top 125 for 2007.

TWI offers employees a basic training programme and after this initial process has taken place training advisors continue to assist local personnel and managers in developing ongoing job-specific education programmes. This is made easier by the majority of training materials being available on-line.

According to Mike Goodboe, senior vice president, Human Resources, and chief learning officer at G4S Wackenhut, the ongoing aspect of training is a key point:

“Our philosophy is quite simple: training without reinforcement is not training at all! We place high emphasis on continuing education, also called in-service training. This consists of quarterly publications, on-the-spot coaching and instruction by supervisors, periodic redesign of programmes, and the like.”

Not only is the TWI involved in comprehensive training of its own staff, its reputation is such that the prestigious Smithsonian Institute chose it to conduct a comprehensive analysis of its training needs and design five programmes of instruction.

The Smithsonian liked what it saw and subsequently asked WIT to train its 600 strong in-house security staff in fundamental security duties and supervisory responsibilities over a five-year period.

G4S recruits learning resuscitation techniques

UK: state-of-the-art facility

In the UK, the Security Industry Authority states that if personnel involved in the security industry are to be effective and professional in their role, they must have undergone a structured programme of training and education resulting in recognised qualifications.

G4S Security Services (UK) recognises this and is fully supportive of the benefit of proper training. All new recruits are now inducted at a state-of-the-art training facility in Warrington, Cheshire, in the north-west of England.

At the facility – which also offers courses to existing employees – trainees complete a three-day residential course and can benefit from training specific to their individual requirements, such as sector, contract and site type. The facility offers the latest technology for presentations and candidates are able to use computers to sit exams online.

The Warrington training centre is intended to provide each new employee with a grounding in G4S’s culture and aims as a company, whilst instilling a sense of pride regarding the security industry as a whole and the work he or she will be carrying out. Each individual is provided with a personal training programme, which serves as the basis for his or her development within the company.

In the UK, G4S Security Services is now in the enviable position of being able to train all officers nationwide from one base and to the same high standard. As a result, all employees now receive the same introduction and overview of the company and security industry.

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This page is an edited version of the article featured in the June 2008 edition of International.
Download the full article: application/pdf Training gives competitive edge

Belgium: highly professional workforce

Belgian law requires that all security officers must complete 132 hours of basic training before they are allowed to begin work. After that training, new recruits must pass exams set by the government, which take place at a special government institute. Anybody who fails to meet the 60 per cent pass mark is not allowed to work and must retake the test, up to a maximum of four times.

After basic training has been undertaken, security staff are required to undergo ongoing training programmes if they want to specialise in certain areas. Government officials – in one of the most highly regulated security sectors in the world – make spot checks and all security guards are required to carry cards detailing their qualifications.

Working without the necessary documentation can lead to a personal fine of Ä1,250 or more.

To provide staff with the necessary level of expertise and more, G4S Training Services (Belgium) offers staff a range of comprehensive programmes. Its facility is staffed by a highly qualified training team, comprising 12 full-time instructors and 70 freelance specialists who take courses ranging from maritime security to fire fighting and first aid.

Ronald Engels, general manager, G4S Training Services (Belgium), says that its programmes have led to the creation of a highly professional workforce: “One might argue that the laws covering security in Belgium are a little severe,” he says. “They mean that we have no choice but to invest a lot of money in training.

“The advantage of this is obviously that all our staff are trained to a high degree of professionalism. The laws have certainly bolstered the reputation of the security industry in Belgium.”