Abloy UK has achieved record breaking attendance at its Academy, with more professionals than ever attending its training courses to enhance their knowledge of access control standards and compliance.
Between January and April 2025 alone, the Academy welcomed 188 attendees to its Foundations course, which is more than the 161 attendees trained during the whole of 2024. Compared to the same period last year, attendance in 2025 has more than doubled, rising from 72 to 188, an increase of 261%.
In response to growing demand, Abloy has added additional course dates to its training schedule. This increase in participation demonstrates industry awareness of the importance of access control compliance, and the need for ongoing training to stay up to date with developments in standards.
The Academy offers a range of training options, with the Foundations course providing insight into current legislation and standards including EN 179, EN 1125, EN 13637 and BS 7273. Its sessions are tailored for a range of professionals including security installers, specifiers, architects, facilities managers, and end users.
The Abloy Academy has a rich history, and began in 2009, with the company advocating for the use of compliant electronic locking systems in place of the widely adopted and often non-compliant electromagnetic solutions.
Over time, a series of legislative developments, including the publication of the Construction Products Regulation in 2013 and its UK counterpart post-Brexit, have helped align the market with Abloy’s long held standards driven message.
Pat Jefferies, Commercial Director at Abloy UK, was the original pioneer of the Academy, and serves as the UK’s technical expert for electric locking with the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). His involvement in shaping industry standards has been important in ensuring the continued development of best practices and safety protocols across Europe.
He said: “The market has finally caught up with the message we’ve been delivering for nearly two decades. Many in the industry now recognise that they can be held liable for non-compliance. Whether it’s a specifier, installer, architect or end user, understanding standards is essential to what they do on a day-to-day basis, and is essential to ensure life safety.
“As regulatory awareness grows, particularly around the implications of installing non-compliant fire and escape doors, training at the Academy is becoming a vital resource. Evolving standards and issues like dynamic lockdown and Martyn’s Law have highlighted compliance and competence further.
“The Academy now regularly hosts groups of 40 to 50 attendees – far beyond the original 20 person sessions we hosted in the beginning – with interest continuing to grow. Our message has always been clear: Abloy for Trust. We’re recognised as the authority on standards and compliance and the Academy is the vehicle for delivering that message across the industry.”
