SIA Unveils Major Industry Training and Education Initiatives
LAS VEGAS
The Security Industry Association (SIA) held a press conference at the International Security Conference (ISC) 2000 Las Vegas March 15 to announce its ambitious push for industry training and education. Marc Mineau, president of SIA, Jason Knott, publisher of Security Sales, David Smith, chairman of the CCTV Interest Group, and Ron Spiller, executive director for SIA, each took a turn at the podium to reveal SIA’s four-pronged plan.
First, SIA says it will offer “matching funds” to organizations or entities to develop and implement security-related training programs. “The SIA matching funding could reach $1 million during a five-year period,” says Mineau.
Second, SIA has signed a licensing agreement to distribute the STAM “Insight” CCTV CD-ROM. The product is a comprehensive CCTV course, including technical training, design and sales, that features significant levels of interactivity and exceptional graphics.
“The deal to market the STAM product is exciting for the industry because there continues to be a lack of qualified installers,” says Knott. “With this product, the number of trained CCTV installers will no longer be limited by the number of people who can fit inside a classroom.”
Third, the SIA CCTV Interest Group Certification Subcommittee has entered into an agreement with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering and Technologies (NICET) to partner in the development and administration of the professional certification program. “The benefits to individuals, to dealers, to the industry and to consumers are many,” contends Smith.
Finally, SIA is spearheading a program, called “Your Career Is Secure,” to educate people looking at career opportunities in the security business. “This program and the Web site [www.yourcareerissecure.com] will be ‘one-stop shopping’ for someone looking to our industry as a career opportunity,” says Spiller.
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