The number of international students enrolled in the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers’ (GAI) Diploma programme has surpassed those in the UK for the first time in its history. 

Almost 60% of students enrolled in last year’s Diploma programme were located outside the UK. 54 students passed the stage three exam to become GAI Diploma holders (DipGAI), of which 28 were international students and 26 were based in the UK. Half of the international students were based in the Middle East and, for the first time, this cohort of Diploma successes also included learners from New Zealand and Cyprus.

The core of the GAI education portfolio is separated into two qualifications: the Certificate in Architectural Hardware (CiAH) and the GAI Diploma. In total, exams across all stages were sat in 22 different countries by over 300 learners.

This year also saw 90% of students pass their CiAH stage one exam, one of the highest pass rates to date, and 80% of students passed stage two.

Rachel Tipton, manager of the GAI education programme, said:

“The past year has been particularly tough for learners, with many being furloughed, so everyone who has progressed through the education programme should be incredibly proud of the resilience and dedication they’ve shown. 

“The GAI has been providing a unique education, qualification and CPD programme for door hardware professionals since 1961. It’s the only recognised programme in the world that leads to a qualification in architectural ironmongery to British and European standards, and can be used to demonstrate a commitment to professional development and to competence in the wider construction industry.�

The CiAH consists of two stages with 24 education modules covering everything an architectural ironmonger is required to know, supported by eight block assessments to test the students’ understanding.

Once learners have gained their CiAH, they can continue their studies to achieve the GAI Diploma. This stage three exam focuses entirely on the skills and learning needed for scheduling the architectural ironmongery, electric hardware and key control for a project, and is of particular importance to those architectural ironmongers working on projects being built to UK and European standards across the globe. Once they have completed the diploma, they can use the designation DipGAI, an industry recognised designation of professionalism.

To find out more about the GAI education programme, visit: www.gai.org.uk/Education