Brett Ennals speaks on recruitment issues to IFSEC

Brett Ennals speaks on recruitment issues to IFSEC

Speaking with IFSEC Global, Brett Ennals speaks on the need for innovative recruitment methods to bolster the fire and security marketplaces within the Middle East.

Brett Ennals, the CEO of Cento Group, speaks to IFSEC Global, discussing the turbulent talent gap and recruitment issues that face the Middle East fire industry, during the interview he speaks on his experience at Honeywell.

” I did a lot of recruitment on the client side at Honeywell but was frustrated that I was dealing with recruitment firms that didn’t fully understand the sector.

There are loads of opportunities out there and pretty much everyone is recruiting. There are around 1.1 million vacancies in the UK at present, and I think the fire and security industry suffers a greater skills shortage than some other sectors. Mind you, as long as I’ve been recruiting, it’s always been an industry with a shortage of candidates.

But now, post-COVID, we have a perfect storm of an ageing population, people changing career paths and people going independent as subcontractors. And you haven’t got as many young people coming into the industry, as it’s perceived to be a compliance industry and not a ‘sexy’ sector, especially by Generation Z, who are more influenced by social media.”

The industry proves to be more popular with the older generation, attracting those looking for a career change after offices and commercial businesses struggled during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Ennal’s mentions the skills gap, something which was discussed at the Security Middle East Conference this year earlier in Riyadh.

“A lot of employers need to think out of the box ­– for example, if you need an engineer try looking amongst electricians or telecoms engineers. I did an electromechanical apprenticeship with The Ministry of Defence – there’s lots of people who can come from adjacent spaces. Yes, they need a bit of encouragement, a bit of training and a bit of time.”

Employers need to understand the incentive, work on getting potential recruits on the same page as companies, understanding the flow of the work and being on the necessary paths to better their learning and lead them directly into the fire industry.