Education remains at the forefront of CEDIA’s work says Matt Nimmons, Managing Director of CEDIA EMEA.
Quite simply, education has such a huge power to be a valuable and transformative asset to businesses in our industry.
And yet, only just over 30% of business owners surveyed in CEDIA’s Smart Home Recruitment and Salary Survey 2023 list personal professional development as a company benefit that they offer.
How can this be when so many integration companies are competing to attract and retain employees in a business environment which is so highly competitive?
Over the years, I’ve personally witnessed the benefits on in-person training and seen how well-skilled, properly trained employees can make a big difference to businesses, ensuring they stand out from the crowd in a competitive market.
Whether you’re at the start of your career, an experienced technician or designer, or a business owner, CEDIA is your go-to resource for industry training, providing personally tailored education pathways for every member.
We continuously update our offerings, so they remain relevant and impactful for our members. We also structure them so that we can prepare learners to take the next step in earning CEDIA certifications and distinguishing themselves in the marketplace.
We encourage the industry to join us in valuing education and the key benefits that it can bring:
- Learning new skills
- Gaining recognition and credibility
- Advancing your career journey
What’s new in CEDIA education?
CEDIA has reworked existing training and has created two new education packages – Smart Home Technician Essentials and Smart Home Technician Further Skills.
Aimed at new hires and entry-level technicians, electricians, and aerial installers, the five-day Smart Home Technician Essentials pathway will offer a solid foundation for anyone interested in starting their careers in the industry or their journey towards CEDIA certification. The package covers essential topics such as audio and video fundamentals, best practice in structured cabling, smart home subsystems, as well as design and installation of AV racks. The last day of the programme also covers UK’s regulations of electrical safety and safe isolation.
The five-day Smart Home Technician Further Skills package is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of individuals who already have some experience in the field or who have completed the Smart Home Technician Essentials package. This more advanced training equips learners with the expertise to handle more complex smart home systems. The package covers topics such as wired and wireless networking, lighting systems and control, fundamentals of home cinema design, as well as the principles of project and business processes.
The main advantage of CEDIA’s essential and further skills packages is that they both consisted of standalone one day courses that can be booked individually. This unique approach provides learners with unparalleled flexibility, allowing them to select and attend specific courses that directly address their knowledge gaps and fit their personal schedules. Whether learners are new to the industry or looking to advance their skills, they can take advantage of the single day courses and customise their learning experience. The flexibility of these course is testament to CEDIA’s commitment to provide accessible and comprehensive training to learners of all levels.
Certification
The Smart Home Technician courses are only part of a tailored career journey. The skills covered in these courses align with CEDIA's globally accredited certifications: Cabling & Infrastructure Technician (CIT) and Integrated Systems Technician (IST). These provide members with the opportunity to showcase credibility, development, and differentiation.
“I’m CEDIA certified because I want to do the job really well and any gaps in my knowledge, well I want to fill them,” comments Owen Maddock, Cinemaworks. “I’ve also found that it adds weight and authority to what you are saying when you are working with other qualified technicians, and it’s a point of difference between you and most of your competitors.”
CIT certification encompasses the knowledge and skills of a technician whose primary task is to perform basic infrastructure wiring for low-voltage technology systems in a residential or commercial setting. Individuals who earn a passing score indicate to their employers that they are jobsite ready, can perform cabling and installation support, and have the foundation for advancing their skills with further education.
IST certification recognises experienced integration technicians who can independently perform the full scope of tasks related to the first and second fix of a project, as well as troubleshoot and verify systems. IST-certified individuals possess a broad range of essential technical skills, up-to-date knowledge of standards and recommended practices, and strong conceptual foundations.
CEDIA Academy
As well as running regular face-to-face courses at our HQ in the UK, we provide our global membership with access to hundreds of hours of self-paced education via the online CEDIA Academy. This ensures that no matter where our members are located, they have direct access to the same comprehensive training courses and hundreds of hours of educational content.
For more information and to see details of workshops, webinars, in-person training and more, go to the events calendar at cedia.net.
For a personalised consultation or to enrol, contact Emma McMylor, emcmylor@cedia.org +44 (0)1480 213744.