Master Locksmiths Association News Round Up

The following is a News Round Up of all things related to the Master Locksmith Association.

MLA at HOSDB

The MLA is once again exhibiting at HOSDB. The event provides an excellent platform for the promotion of the use of MLA licensed locksmiths to the hundreds of Police, Government and Military personnel who visit the show looking for information and guidance relating to physical security.

 MLA to develop Nationally Recognised Qualification and Apprenticeship Framework

The MLA has long been concerned with the unregulated nature of the locksmithing industry and in particular the training that is available. To add to this the fact that Locksmithing is not a recognised profession (no SIC code or formal recognition through qualifications or apprenticeships) has also been a major bug bear of the association.

To this end the MLA is embarking upon a project to help legitimise the profession by working in collaboration with the Sector Skills body (Skills for Security) and funding the development of a nationally recognised qualification and apprenticeship framework.

Home Office Visit

The 16th of March 2011 saw the MLA host a visit to its head office facility and subsidiary company Sold Secure by Home Office personnel.

Keen on understanding more about the vital role the MLA play in the security industry, it enabled them to highlight the importance of 3rd party accreditation of locksmiths and security products, understand the dangers of un-regulated training and was prompted by the backing given by James Brokenshire, the minister for Crime Reduction, to their recent Handbook.

This visit was an excellent demonstration of the standing that the association holds within industry and Government circles.

MLA Promoted to Insurers

Today saw a presentation to 20 insurance surveyors from one of the UKs largest insurers given by MLA staff.

The presentation included information on the various lock related standards as well as providing information on what products should be specified for which applications. It also enabled the MLA to highlight the importance of using vetted, inspected and qualified locksmiths.

Government Backs MLA

The UK’s biggest locksmithing trade association has further cemented its position as one of the country’s leading security experts with a stamp of approval from the Home Office.

The coalition Government’s James Brokenshire MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime Prevention has praised the work of the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA) and invited the association to contribute to shaping the voluntary and regulatory options for improving home security in Britain.