ASSA ABLOY, the global leader in door opening solutions, has hosted a locksmith apprentice open day at its Portobello site in the West Midlands for the second year running.
As part of its commitment to the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) and Skills for Security apprenticeship partnership, ASSA ABLOY hosted the 10 apprentices signed up to the Locksmith Level 2 Apprenticeship.
The open day, which followed the theme of ‘Past, Present and Future’, consisted of manufacturing facility tours, practical product assembly sessions, and provided an insight into the future of the industry, in particular smart home technology.
Steve Ross, part of the team that delivered training on the day, said: “This programme is an excellent way to connect with the next generation of locksmiths, and is a great forum to allow us to share our knowledge and experience whilst also discussing trends for the future. After all, it is these young individuals who will become tomorrow’s business leaders and who will help take the industry into the digital word – exciting times indeed.”
Steve added “It is important that these young locksmith entrepreneurs are made aware of how fast our industry is changing, and see the opportunities which exist beyond the traditional mechanical world. Notwithstanding this, the mechanical world is still a significant part of the industry, and is the bread and butter of most locksmith businesses. The digital revolution brings with it fantastic opportunities with ‘smart home’ technology and app based management growing at a phenomenal rate. Security products are part of this revolution, as can be seen within the Smart Living portfolio of solutions from Yale.
“It’s great to spend time with these apprentices at the beginning of their careers within the industry, and we hope that our overview of the history of locking from 4000 BC through to the exciting world of tomorrow will help them on their way.”
The day concluded with each apprentice being presented with a commemorative plaque as a memento of the day.
To find out more about Skills for Security, visit: https://skillsforsecurity.org.uk/news/locksmith-apprenticeship/
For more information about ASSA ABLOY UK, visit: https://www.assaabloy.co.uk/en/local/uk/
For more information about the Master Locksmiths Association