£70 million funding “addresses building safety professional shortages”

According to the Government, the £70m money will deliver a “much-needed boost” to the Building Control and fire engineering workforces, both of which are suffering from qualified professional staff shortages. The funding will increase the number of registered building inspectors by up to 700, including those in Class 3H who can inspect high-risk buildings, as well as increase the number of fire engineers and the availability of fire engineering education.

Dr Benjamin Ralph, head of building and fire safety at built environment consultancy Hollis, commented: “For too long, workforce shortages in Building Control and fire engineering have created a bottleneck that affects both the safety of existing buildings and the pace at which new homes can be delivered. This new funding recognises that you cannot deliver safe housing at scale without the professionals to design and approve it. The investment in fire engineering education and research is particularly welcome. A three-year programme signals the kind of sustained commitment the sector really needs.” 

Read the full story here - https://www.fsmatters.com/Funding-addresses-safety-professional-shortages