UK smart home installation companies, Automated Spaces and Stuart Westmoreland Ltd, have attended a school to educate pupils on CEDIA’s new Smart Home NextGen initiative.
The NextGen programme has been created by CEDIA with the aim to help promote awareness of the smart home industry amongst the next generation, including grassroots outreach by industry employers to local educational establishments and students.
Alan Matthews, managing director of Automated Spaces, liaised with Amanda Gwyther, head of computing at Long Field Spencer Academy about the NextGen initiative. He said: “The NextGen initiative includes raising awareness of the smart home industry, the companies that operate within the industry, the various types of jobs roles within these companies and potential routes into the industry such as the newly recognised ‘Smart Home Technician’ apprenticeship scheme.”
Representatives from Automated Space, Stuart Westmoreland Ltd and CEDIA to visit the Academy and provide the NextGen presentation to a large group of year 10 students.
Richard Westmoreland and Alan Matthews presenting NextGen to pupils
“Long Field Spencer Academy were enthusiastic about the opportunity for their pupils to be able to learn more about the smart home industry,” said Matthews. “On the day of our visit the staff were very welcoming, and the pupils were very engaged. It was great to see that after the presentation and learning more about the opportunities in the smart home industry, there were at least several pupils who said they might now consider a future career in the industry.”
Stuart Westmoreland Ltd director, Richard Westmoreland, added: “The NextGen initiative that CEDIA recently launched is going to introduce a new generation of pupils and young people to the growing smart home industry, and what future opportunities it can offer them. It was therefore very important to us to be able to take part in the presentation to Long Field Spencer Academy, and wonderful to see the reaction of the teachers and pupils to it in such a positive way.”
Gwyther said: “The CEDIA NextGen presentation was very informative for our pupils, highlighting various opportunities in the smart home industry, many of which are local based and inspiring, truly opening our eyes to the wonderful world of smart housing. We at Long Field cannot thank enough Automated Spaces, Stuart Westmoreland Ltd, and CEDIA for giving up their time in order to inspire and enlighten us in the smart home industry.”
Alan Matthews showing pupils some smart home devices
“I would like to thank Long Field Academy, as well as CEDIA members Automated Spaces and Stuart Westmoreland Ltd, for the opportunity to engage with these fantastic young people,” added Aneta Armova-Levin, education manager EMEA at CEDIA. “It was great to see such genuine interest from the students and to share with them details about the Smart Home Technician Apprenticeship. CEDIA is committed to educating and inspiring young people about the career opportunities in the industry, and hopefully the visit in Long Field Academy will be the first of many more to come.”
Following the presentation, Automated Spaces are now in talks with the Academy to arrange for the pupils to visit its smart home show house to allow them to have a more hands on experience with various technologies in an immersive real-world environment.
Main image (L-R): Richard, Aneta, and Alan in front of Long Field Spencer Academy