Homeland Security Qualifications (HSQ) came into being in 2006 as a company dedicated to supporting the continuing development of competence standards and qualifications for the explosives industry.

Originally established as SSB for EMSO Ltd and trading as Explosives and Search Competence (E&SC), the company was established by a founding member of the Standards Setting Body for Explosives Munitions and Search Occupations and its long standing Special Adviser.

Since its inception, the company has already undertaken consultancy work relating to competence and qualifications specification and delivery for Government departments and agencies involved in the field of explosives and is advising other commercial organisations involved such work.   The company stands ready to help other safety critical and defence-related organizations.

By 2008, it was clear that the unique structure and needs of the United Kingdom’s explosives industry, with its governmental, military, commercial and special interest group stakeholders, did not suit conventional awarding bodies.  HSQ therefore set out to provide awarding body services to the national explosives industry and has since added other defence-related fields to its repertoire.

The company is willing to consider international interest in its services.

Although widely accepted as a qualifications awarding entity by key organisations with the explosives industry, HSQ is not yet currently accredited by the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual).  However the company is working hard to achieve such recognition as soon as possible.

HSQ can draw on a wide range of skills and knowledge in the challenging activity of designing and bringing into use specifications of occupational competence and related qualifications.   Its personnel have a unique track record in helping governmental, commercial and third sector clients to achieve their HR goals, particularly – but by no means exclusively – in the fields of explosives and defence related activities.

Whether it is developing and linking organizational role profiles with existing standards and qualifications or creating new ones, HSQ staff have undertaken this kind of work in the fields of defence, meteorology and forensic science to name but a few.   They also have long and wide experience of operating a range of qualifications schemes, including developing and implementing the internal administrative and quality assurance arrangements and meeting the expectations of external verifiers, regulators and inspectors.  Indeed, HSQ is already providing awarding body and consultancy services to a governmental agency and looks forward to doing the same for one of the largest national – and international – defence contracting companies in the United Kingdom.