The International Firearm Training Academy (ITA) has launched two new firearms training modules to support career development in the firearms industry. The Maintenance Fitter and the Firearms Custodian modules are two-part certification programmes within a larger Certified Gunsmith Programme.
These were designed to address the growing need for training within state and parastatal organisations, the security industry, gun shops, dealerships and firearm training centres. This includes firearm safekeeping, issuing firearms to officers on duty, general maintenance and most importantly, serviceability inspections to ensure that firearms are fit for purpose.
Candidates are required to have already secured a Business Purposes competency qualification before gaining entry into these training programmes.
Closing the firearms skills gap
The Firearms Custodian module focuses on foundational skills, which includes the training of security officers and police officials among other firearms professionals to field-strip firearms, conduct serviceability inspections, and ensure firearms are clean and safe for use.
The Maintenance Fitter training equips participants with the expertise to disassemble and reassemble firearm actions, identify and diagnose broken parts and liaise with certified armourers or gunsmiths for repairs. Maintenance Fitters can perform basic repairs such as the replacement of a firing pin or the sights on a firearm.
This ensures that firearms requiring basic repairs can now be handled internally. Repairs that can be done onsite result in firearms spending less time in a safe waiting for a qualified gunsmith to do a basic repair.
“Security officers are often issued firearms that are either unserviceable or missing critical components, such as sights. This poses serious risks to both public safety and the officers themselves,” explains Andrew Fuller, Master Gunsmith at ITA. “These training modules not only address these risks but also offer a structured pathway for career progression in a field with limited formal development opportunities.”
“Imagine driving down Chapman’s Peak on a perfect Sunday afternoon. As you approach a sharp bend, you press the brakes—nothing happens, causing panic and a wave of helplessness washes over you, accompanied by the split-second realisation that what should save you has failed,” says Nikki Pretorius, CEO of ITA. “Now, imagine facing an imminent threat, reaching for your firearm in self-defence, drawing from the holster, sights on target, a deep breath, the squeeze of the trigger and … nothing happens. Training and preparation can be the difference between survival and catastrophe."
Pretorius further emphasises the importance of responsible ammunition control and firearm serviceability, stating that the new modules aim to instil a culture of responsibility and accountability throughout the chain of firearm handling, management, operation and maintenance.
“We must bridge the gap between the business purposes unit standard training and firearm custodians and maintenance fitters. This is why ITA is setting a new benchmark for how firearms should be handled, serviced and maintained in compliance with the Firearms Control Act, ensuring that all firearms issued for use are indeed fit for purpose,” she adds.
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