Confederation of Fibre Optics and Network Infrastructure Installers
Built by industry. Focused on competence.
—— COFNII PUBLIC ASSURANCE
Approved training providers & Individually verified trainers
COFNII approval is designed to show who is qualified to teach, assess and quality-assure vocational network-infrastructure training—and the technical disciplines each person is approved to deliver.
CORE PRINCIPLE
A provider badge is not a blanket approval for every trainer.
Approval follows the person, the evidence and the discipline and remains valid only while the published requirements are met.
—— CURRENT REGISTER
COFNII Approved Training Providers
Provider approval applies to the named organisation and its quality systems. It does not automatically approve every person who teaches for that organisation.
—— VERIFIED INDIVIDUALS
COFNII Certified Trainers
Each entry identifies the trainer, their provider, verified qualifications and the specialist disciplines for which they are recognised. Approval never extends beyond the published scope.
GC
● Current certified trainer
Geoff Crossley
CrossConnect Training
Specialist fibre-optics and optical-network trainer delivering Optical Technology Training (OTT) programmes.
QUALIFICATIONS AND APPROVALS
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FIA Certified Trainer — FIACT 05031
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Certified Optical Network Associate (CONA)
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FIA Certified Trainer — FIACT 05031
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Certified Optical Network Engineer (CONE)
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Certified Optical Fibre Installer (COFI)
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Certified Fibre Characterisation Engineer (CFCE)
APPROVED SCOPE
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Optical-network principles and design
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Fibre installation and testing
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Advanced fibre characterisation
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Chromatic dispersion and polarisation mode dispersion
● Current certified trainer
Alan Deakin
Fibre Optics Training
Vocational trainer and assessor specialising in fibre installation, testing and enterprise structured cabling.
QUALIFICATIONS AND APPROVALS
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Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET)
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Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA)
APPROVED SCOPE
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Fibre-optic installation
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Fibre-optic testing
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Enterprise structured cabling
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Smart Awards SA001 Overhead Safety
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Smart Awards SA002 Underground Safety
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Smart Awards SA051c Tetra Leaning Ladder and Flat Roof Candidate Accreditation
● Current certified trainer
Ratu Tunisau
Fibre Optics Training
Vocational trainer and assessor specialising in fibre installation, advanced OTDR testing and troubleshooting.
QUALIFICATIONS AND APPROVALS
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Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET)
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Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA)
APPROVED SCOPE
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Fibre-optic installation
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Fibre-optic testing
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Smart Awards SA001 Overhead Safety
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Smart Awards SA002 Underground Safety
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Smart Awards SA051c Tetra Leaning Ladder and Flat Roof Candidate Accreditation
● Current certified trainer
Paul Forster
Fibre Optics Training
Senior technical trainer, assessor and lead internal quality assurer with more than 25 years of industry experience across fibre optics, optical transmission, high-speed Ethernet testing, telecoms access networks, enterprise cabling, data-centre network infrastructure and IT networks.
QUALIFICATIONS AND APPROVALS
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Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET)
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Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA)
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Level 4 Award in Understanding the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice
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Level 4 Certificate in Leading the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice (LIQA)
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FIA Certified Trainer — FIACT 05032
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Certified Fibre Characterisation Engineer (CFCE)
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CompTIA Network+ Instructor
APPROVED SCOPE
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Fibre-optic installation, jointing, testing and network design
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Tier 1 and Tier 2 fibre testing, including OLTS/LSPM, OTDR and ORL
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Advanced OTDR testing, fault location and troubleshooting
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Chromatic dispersion and polarisation mode dispersion testing
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Enterprise structured cabling, copper testing and network design
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Data-centre network infrastructure, including fibre, copper, cabinets, containment, topology, testing and documentation
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CWDM and DWDM optical transmission systems, optical budgets, commissioning and fault diagnosis
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Enterprise IT networks, Ethernet, switching, routing, VLANs and LAN troubleshooting
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Ethernet and high-speed network testing methodology from 1 Gb/s to 800 Gb/s, including traffic generation, BER and FEC analysis, throughput, latency, frame loss and optical-transceiver validation
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Telecommunications access networks: FTTP, FTTH and FTTx
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Passive Optical Networks, including GPON, XGS-PON, optical distribution networks, splitters and MDU deployment
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Overhead and underground access-network installation, PIA working practices and telecoms safety
APPROVED SCOPE
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Fibre and optical-transmission work across access, enterprise, data-centre and carrier environments
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Technical support, commissioning and troubleshooting across CWDM and DWDM transmission platforms
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High-speed Ethernet link and service testing across enterprise, data-centre and carrier environments
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FTTP/PON planning, installation, testing, commissioning and acceptance
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Enterprise and data-centre cabling design, implementation, testing and handover
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Vocational programme delivery, assessment, internal quality assurance and qualification development
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Smart Awards SA001 Overhead Safety, SA002 Underground Safety and SA024 Pole Top Rescue
CURRENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In progress — not yet awarded
Working towards an External Quality Assurance (EQA) qualification
Register information is subject to certificate checks, current-status verification, continuing professional development and periodic COFNII renewal.
—— TWO LEVELS OF ASSURANCE —
Organisation approval and individual approval serve different purposes.
ORGANISATION
COFNII Approved Training Provider
Demonstrates that the provider has suitable governance, resources, delivery controls, assessment processes, learner support and quality-assurance arrangements.
✓ Approval linked to the installation disciplines offered
✓ Commitment to recognised standards and specifications
✓ Appropriate testing, certification and handover records
✓ Professional accountability and continuing development
INDIVIDUAL
COFNII Approved Trainer
Demonstrates that a named trainer has the occupational, teaching and assessment competence required for the specific disciplines shown on their public profile.
✓ Technical approval is discipline-specific
✓ Vocational awards and experience are evidenced
✓ Teaching and assessor credentials are shown separately
✓ Approval has a visible review and renewal date
—— INDIVIDUAL APPROVAL CRITERIA
Evidence first.
Approval by discipline.
COFNII’s technical assessment complements recognised qualifications; it does not replace the awarding body or claim that COFNII issued the underlying qualification.
01
Occupational competence
Relevant vocational awards and recent, credible industry experience for every discipline the trainer wants listed.
04
Quality assurance
Those carrying out or leading internal quality assurance must hold an appropriate Level 4 IQA qualification or accepted equivalent.
02
Teaching competence
A Level 3 Award in Education and Training, recognised predecessor qualification or an accepted equivalent.
05
COFNII technical assessment
A discipline-specific knowledge and practical assessment covering current installation, testing, safety and standards-led practice.
03
Assessment competence
Where the trainer assesses learners: CAVA, a relevant Level 3 assessor award, recognised predecessor qualification or equivalent.
06
Currency and conduct
Continuing professional development, standardisation activity, professional conduct and periodic approval renewal.
—— RECOGNISED TECHNICAL EVIDENCE
Awarding-body qualifications remain clearly identified.
Public profiles should name the actual awarding organisation, qualification title, level and achievement date. COFNII recognition confirms relevance to an approval category; it does not rebrand another organisation’s award.
COMMUNICATIONS CABLING
City & Guilds 3668
Relevant Level 2 and Level 3 Communications Cabling achievements can form part of the trainer’s occupational evidence, matched to the disciplines taught.
FIBRE INSTALLATION & TESTING
Open Awards Level 3
Recognised routes include Fibre Optics Installation and Testing and other regulated vocational qualifications relevant to the trainer’s delivery scope.
ADVANCED OPTICAL TESTING
OTDR and characterisation
Advanced OTDR Testing and suitable higher-level evidence for specialist optical testing, including CD/PMD where that discipline is claimed.
STRUCTURED CABLING
Copper and network infrastructure
Regulated cabling, copper testing, fault-finding and experienced-worker routes may be recognised where their learning outcomes match the approval category.
ℹ Other regulated qualifications, legacy awards and demonstrably equivalent routes may be accepted following evidence mapping. Approval is based on relevance and current competence—not a closed list of preferred awarding bodies.
—— APPROVED TRAINER REGISTER
A public record that learners and employers can verify.
The live register will list approved trainers after the assessment and governance process has been launched.
Register launching after the first approval panel
Applications and assessment dates will be announced by COFNII.
EVERY TRAINER RECORD WILL SHOW
✓ Trainer name and photograph
✓ COFNII trainer number
✓ Approval and renewal dates
✓ Assessor qualification and scope
✓ Occupational qualifications and awarding bodies
✓ Approved training provider
✓ Active, suspended or expired status
✓ Approved technical disciplines
✓ Teaching qualification
✓ IQA qualification where applicable
—— APPROVAL LIFECYCLE —
Approval must remain current—not last forever.
01
Application
Submit qualifications, experience, provider relationship and requested disciplines.
04
Public approval
A time-limited record is published with status, scope and renewal date.
02
Evidence review
COFNII checks occupational, teaching, assessment and IQA evidence as applicable.
05
Maintain
Record CPD, standardisation, industry activity and any qualification updates.
03
Technical assessment
Complete the knowledge and practical assessment for each discipline.
06
Renew
Reconfirm competence periodically and reassess where standards or technology change
Clear answers about trainer competence.
—— TRAINING FAQs
The final approval handbook and assessment specifications should be ratified by the COFNII committee before applications open.