Professional Bodyguard Association - Africa

13/08/2026

Has your FPOS qualification been rejected because it is more than three years old?

When Pearson published its notice withdrawing the BTEC Level 3 FPOS qualification in May 2023, it did not state that certificates already awarded would automatically expire after three years or become null and void.

However, there is an important practical consideration.

Some employers and deployment companies now operate their own medical competency policies, requiring personnel to have completed or renewed an appropriate medical qualification within the previous three years.

So, regardless of the historic status of your FPOS certificate, if your prospective employer requires a current qualification, that requirement may ultimately determine whether you are accepted for deployment.

If you need to prove your skills are current then update your medical qualifications to something more recent.

The PBA offers a direct RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) route for experienced FPOS-qualified personnel leading to the:

Qualsafe Level 3 Award in First Response Emergency Care (RQF) (2025)

✅ 2-Day RPL Programme
✅ Recognition of your previous training and experience
✅ Gain a current nationally regulated qualification
✅ Ideal for experienced FPOS personnel needing to meet current employer or deployment requirements
✅ Avoid unnecessarily repeating training you have already completed and can demonstrate competence in.

If your Pearson BTEC Level 3 FPOS certificate is currently preventing you from securing work or deploying, this is the practical route forward.

📩 Contact the Professional Bodyguard Association (PBA) for eligibility, dates and course information.

Your FPOS training hasn't suddenly disappeared — but your employer may require evidence that your medical competence is current.

09/08/2026

There is merit in this.

13/07/2026

22/06/2026

Whether you are entering the industry for the first time or looking to strengthen your professional capability, the Professional Bodyguard Association delivers trusted, high-quality training built around respected British standards in Close Protection, Security Management, and Pre-Hospital Emergency Care.

​At the PBA, our training is designed and delivered by experienced industry professionals who understand the realities of protective security. Learners benefit from practical instruction, real-world insight, hands-on development, and internationally recognised qualifications that support professional progression.

14/04/2026

Contact Erika van Vuuren, erika@pbagroup / +27(0)728743434

23/03/2026

Too many people in South Africa are choosing a Qualsafe L3 FREC course offered at ZAR 6,000 by one particular company because it ticks a box and keeps them contract-compliant.

Let’s call it what it is: the cheap option.

That might look fine on paper, but paper qualifications do not save lives when things go catastrophically wrong — and in this line of work, they will. This is exactly why prehospital emergency care training exists in the first place.

If you are preparing for deployment to Iraq or other austere environments, this matters even more. These are not controlled settings. These are high-risk, high-pressure environments where poor training is exposed very quickly, and the consequences can be fatal.

If your course does not include blast and ballistic care, then you are not being properly prepared. You are being sold short.

The QNUK L3 FPOSI may cost more, but it delivers training that reflects the realities of operational deployment. When the worst happens, nobody cares how much money you saved on your course.

The real question is simple: what price do you put on saving a life?

01/12/2025

Want to learn more, come and join us on our FREC or FPOS courses. Contact +27720917357 / [email protected]

27/11/2025

Contact Erika van Vuuren to book your seat, +27(0)728743434 / [email protected].