With an ageing workforce, limited training pathways and rising regulatory demands post-Grenfell, the UK’s fire and security sector is struggling to find enough qualified engineers. Trinity Fire & Security Systems, a PTSG Company, is responding with a recruitment open day, a £4,000 sign-on bonus and a message to the industry: if you want the best people, you have to go out and find them.
The fire and security sector has a recruitment problem – and it is getting worse. Experienced engineers are retiring faster than they can be replaced, the pipeline of new entrants remains narrow and the regulatory landscape is becoming more demanding by the year. For facilities managers and building owners who depend on these specialists to keep their assets safe and compliant, the consequences are already being felt.
According to industry body the Fire Industry Association (FIA), the shortage of skilled fire engineers has been building for several years, with employers reporting persistent difficulty finding candidates with the right qualifications and experience. The problem is compounded by the sector’s reliance on a single formal entry route – the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) Technician apprenticeship, a Level 3 programme that takes around three years to complete. In 2019, training for the apprenticeship was available at just three centres nationwide. That has since expanded to seven, supporting around 3,000 apprentices, but industry leaders say it remains insufficient to meet growing demand.
At the same time, the workforce is ageing. A Home Office survey of fire risk assessors found that two-thirds are aged 50 or over, with more than half falling in the 50-to-64 bracket. While this data relates specifically to fire risk assessment, the pattern reflects a broader trend across the fire and security sector – one where experienced professionals are approaching retirement and too few younger workers are coming through to take their place.
The result is an increasingly competitive market for qualified engineers. Salaries have risen steadily, and poaching between employers has become commonplace, with engineers frequently moving between companies for pay increases. For the sector as a whole, this cycle drives up costs without solving the underlying supply problem.
Post-Grenfell regulation is raising the bar
The skills shortage has taken on added urgency in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the regulatory reforms that have followed. The Fire Safety Act 2021, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Building Safety Act 2022 have collectively raised expectations around competence, accountability and professional standards for anyone working on fire safety systems.
In December 2025, the government published the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel’s authoritative statement, setting out the knowledge and skills expected of a competent fire engineer – a direct response to a recommendation from the Grenfell Inquiry’s Phase 2 report. The government has also committed to making it a mandatory requirement for fire risk assessors to have their competence independently verified and is working towards the establishment of a single construction regulator with oversight of professional standards across the built environment.
For employers, this means the days of relying on broadly skilled operatives to cover fire and security work are coming to an end. Main contractors and building owners increasingly want to work with sub-contractors who can demonstrate that their engineers hold the right qualifications – including the ECS Gold Card, which is aligned to the FESS apprenticeship standard. The upcoming revision of BS 5839 (fire detection and fire alarm systems) is expected to include new requirements around competence and continuing professional development, further tightening the expectations on those who install and maintain these systems.
It all adds up to a sector that needs more people, better qualified, at a time when the talent pool is shrinking.
PTSG and Trinity’s answer: open the doors
It is against this backdrop that Trinity Fire & Security Systems – part of Premier Technical Services Group (PTSG) – is taking a different approach to recruitment. On Saturday 7 March, the company is hosting an open day at its Abingdon hub, inviting engineers to meet the team, explore opportunities and get a genuine sense of what a career with Trinity looks like.
The event has been deliberately designed to move away from the traditional recruitment process. Rather than relying on job boards and application forms, Trinity is opening its doors and putting its people front and centre. Candidates will be able to meet senior members of the team, ask questions directly and – depending on their experience – may have the opportunity to interview on the day, with a response within two days.
The company is also backing its recruitment drive with a £4,000 sign-on bonus for engineers joining in direct roles – £2,000 payable after successful completion of a three-month probationary period, and a further £2,000 after 12 months of continuous service. It is a clear signal that Trinity is prepared to invest in attracting and retaining the right talent, rather than simply competing on salary alone.
The recruitment push follows a period of significant new contract wins for Trinity, with the growing workload creating demand for additional engineering capacity across the UK.
Thinking differently about the pipeline
The open day itself is the result of an idea from within PTSG’s own workforce. Carra Gale, Head of Inside Sales at Trinity, submitted the concept through the first round of PTSG’s Elevate programme – an internal initiative designed to give employees a platform to propose ideas that could improve the business. Drawing on her eight years of frontline experience at Trinity, Gale identified the need to open up alternative recruitment routes – creating more accessible, engaging ways for people to discover careers across the Group.
It is an approach that reflects a growing recognition across the fire and security sector that traditional recruitment methods are no longer enough. The industry has historically relied on word-of-mouth to attract new talent, and the absence of a clear, visible career pathway has meant that many potential entrants – particularly school and college leavers – simply do not know the sector exists or what it can offer.
Skills for Security, the UK’s leading fire and security training provider, has emphasised the need for a broader strategy that goes beyond traditional routes. As the organisation’s managing director David Scott has noted, the shortage is not simply a pipeline issue – it requires targeted, accessible training, structured career development and greater collaboration between employers, training providers and professional bodies.
For PTSG and Trinity, the open day is one part of a wider effort. As one of the UK’s leading specialist building services groups, with around 3,200 employees nationwide and more than 20 years’ experience in fire and security, the company is well placed to offer what many smaller operators cannot – structured career progression, investment in training and the stability of a large, growing organisation.
What it means for facilities management
For facilities managers, the fire and security skills shortage is not an abstract problem. It translates directly into longer lead times for maintenance and installation work, increased costs, and greater difficulty finding contractors who can demonstrate the competence standards that legislation now demands. As regulatory expectations continue to rise, the pressure on FM teams to ensure their buildings are properly maintained by qualified professionals will only intensify.
The companies that invest in recruitment, training and workforce development now will be the ones best positioned to deliver in the years ahead. Trinity’s open day may be a single event, but the thinking behind it – that attracting talent requires more than a job listing – is one that the wider sector would do well to take seriously.
Trinity recruitment open day
Date: Saturday 7 March
Time: 9am – 12pm (online sessions also available)
Location: Trade Park, 9E Nuffield Way, Abingdon OX14 1RL
A £4,000 sign-on bonus is available for direct engineering roles. Terms and conditions apply.
Register your interest here:
https://trinityfiresecuritysystems.teamtailor.com/jobs/7212016-trinity-open-event-march-7th/129a0e04-e445-4f58-869f-66c9a214d710
As Fire and Security Faces a Deepening Skills Crisis, One Company is Taking Recruitment into its Own Hands
With an ageing workforce, limited training pathways and rising regulatory demands post-Grenfell, the UK’s fire and security sector is struggling to find enough qualified engineers. Trinity Fire & Security Systems, a PTSG Company, is responding with a recruitment open day, a £4,000 sign-on bonus and a message to the industry: if you want the best people, you have to go out and find them.
The fire and security sector has a recruitment problem – and it is getting worse. Experienced engineers are retiring faster than they can be replaced, the pipeline of new entrants remains narrow and the regulatory landscape is becoming more demanding by the year. For facilities managers and building owners who depend on these specialists to keep their assets safe and compliant, the consequences are already being felt.
According to industry body the Fire Industry Association (FIA), the shortage of skilled fire engineers has been building for several years, with employers reporting persistent difficulty finding candidates with the right qualifications and experience. The problem is compounded by the sector’s reliance on a single formal entry route – the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) Technician apprenticeship, a Level 3 programme that takes around three years to complete. In 2019, training for the apprenticeship was available at just three centres nationwide. That has since expanded to seven, supporting around 3,000 apprentices, but industry leaders say it remains insufficient to meet growing demand.
At the same time, the workforce is ageing. A Home Office survey of fire risk assessors found that two-thirds are aged 50 or over, with more than half falling in the 50-to-64 bracket. While this data relates specifically to fire risk assessment, the pattern reflects a broader trend across the fire and security sector – one where experienced professionals are approaching retirement and too few younger workers are coming through to take their place.
The result is an increasingly competitive market for qualified engineers. Salaries have risen steadily, and poaching between employers has become commonplace, with engineers frequently moving between companies for pay increases. For the sector as a whole, this cycle drives up costs without solving the underlying supply problem.
Post-Grenfell regulation is raising the bar
The skills shortage has taken on added urgency in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the regulatory reforms that have followed. The Fire Safety Act 2021, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Building Safety Act 2022 have collectively raised expectations around competence, accountability and professional standards for anyone working on fire safety systems.
In December 2025, the government published the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel’s authoritative statement, setting out the knowledge and skills expected of a competent fire engineer – a direct response to a recommendation from the Grenfell Inquiry’s Phase 2 report. The government has also committed to making it a mandatory requirement for fire risk assessors to have their competence independently verified and is working towards the establishment of a single construction regulator with oversight of professional standards across the built environment.
For employers, this means the days of relying on broadly skilled operatives to cover fire and security work are coming to an end. Main contractors and building owners increasingly want to work with sub-contractors who can demonstrate that their engineers hold the right qualifications – including the ECS Gold Card, which is aligned to the FESS apprenticeship standard. The upcoming revision of BS 5839 (fire detection and fire alarm systems) is expected to include new requirements around competence and continuing professional development, further tightening the expectations on those who install and maintain these systems.
It all adds up to a sector that needs more people, better qualified, at a time when the talent pool is shrinking.
PTSG and Trinity’s answer: open the doors
It is against this backdrop that Trinity Fire & Security Systems – part of Premier Technical Services Group (PTSG) – is taking a different approach to recruitment. On Saturday 7 March, the company is hosting an open day at its Abingdon hub, inviting engineers to meet the team, explore opportunities and get a genuine sense of what a career with Trinity looks like.
The event has been deliberately designed to move away from the traditional recruitment process. Rather than relying on job boards and application forms, Trinity is opening its doors and putting its people front and centre. Candidates will be able to meet senior members of the team, ask questions directly and – depending on their experience – may have the opportunity to interview on the day, with a response within two days.
The company is also backing its recruitment drive with a £4,000 sign-on bonus for engineers joining in direct roles – £2,000 payable after successful completion of a three-month probationary period, and a further £2,000 after 12 months of continuous service. It is a clear signal that Trinity is prepared to invest in attracting and retaining the right talent, rather than simply competing on salary alone.
The recruitment push follows a period of significant new contract wins for Trinity, with the growing workload creating demand for additional engineering capacity across the UK.
Thinking differently about the pipeline
The open day itself is the result of an idea from within PTSG’s own workforce. Carra Gale, Head of Inside Sales at Trinity, submitted the concept through the first round of PTSG’s Elevate programme – an internal initiative designed to give employees a platform to propose ideas that could improve the business. Drawing on her eight years of frontline experience at Trinity, Gale identified the need to open up alternative recruitment routes – creating more accessible, engaging ways for people to discover careers across the Group.
It is an approach that reflects a growing recognition across the fire and security sector that traditional recruitment methods are no longer enough. The industry has historically relied on word-of-mouth to attract new talent, and the absence of a clear, visible career pathway has meant that many potential entrants – particularly school and college leavers – simply do not know the sector exists or what it can offer.
Skills for Security, the UK’s leading fire and security training provider, has emphasised the need for a broader strategy that goes beyond traditional routes. As the organisation’s managing director David Scott has noted, the shortage is not simply a pipeline issue – it requires targeted, accessible training, structured career development and greater collaboration between employers, training providers and professional bodies.
For PTSG and Trinity, the open day is one part of a wider effort. As one of the UK’s leading specialist building services groups, with around 3,200 employees nationwide and more than 20 years’ experience in fire and security, the company is well placed to offer what many smaller operators cannot – structured career progression, investment in training and the stability of a large, growing organisation.
What it means for facilities management
For facilities managers, the fire and security skills shortage is not an abstract problem. It translates directly into longer lead times for maintenance and installation work, increased costs, and greater difficulty finding contractors who can demonstrate the competence standards that legislation now demands. As regulatory expectations continue to rise, the pressure on FM teams to ensure their buildings are properly maintained by qualified professionals will only intensify.
The companies that invest in recruitment, training and workforce development now will be the ones best positioned to deliver in the years ahead. Trinity’s open day may be a single event, but the thinking behind it – that attracting talent requires more than a job listing – is one that the wider sector would do well to take seriously.
Trinity recruitment open day
Date: Saturday 7 March
Time: 9am – 12pm (online sessions also available)
Location: Trade Park, 9E Nuffield Way, Abingdon OX14 1RL
A £4,000 sign-on bonus is available for direct engineering roles. Terms and conditions apply.
Register your interest here:
https://trinityfiresecuritysystems.teamtailor.com/jobs/7212016-trinity-open-event-march-7th/129a0e04-e445-4f58-869f-66c9a214d710
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