Ever since I came into this industry several years ago, heads of installing contracting companies have bellyached about the lack of well-trained personnel among their current staff and job applicants.

The dilemma has been further underscored by the results of our annual Business Installation Report, as each year respondents consistently rank the industry’s “lack of training” as one of their top concerns.

Ironically, most of this griping emanates from the owners and operators of installing security companies – the very same folks who are a leading reason why this situation exists! I maintain that many of the loudest voices in the training outcry are those who do not put forth the time, effort or investment necessary to see to it that their people are adequately trained.

Unfortunately, management is often too caught up in day-to-day affairs and fattening the bottom line to see to it that staff members expand their knowledge base and keep up with our rapidly changing industry. Others are simply too apathetic, lack the initiative to seek out proper training programs or claim there is nothing appropriate available.

As an example of this apathy, several years ago I attended the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association’s (NBFAA) National Training School (NTS) to become a Certified Level I Alarm Technician. I had to wait more than a year for the class to be offered in the Greater Los Angeles area, and when it was, there was only one alarm company represented!

Currently, I have been waiting more than two years for that training to be offered again near our Torrance, Calif., offices so newer staff members could also become certified, but there have been none due to lack of interest. A few months ago, there was an NTS session on IT scheduled locally that I had planned to attend, but it was scrapped due to low enrollment.

Another major issue – and perhaps the most disheartening – is that many company owners and managers hold their people back because they are scared of losing them to competitors. They subscribe to the “ignorance-is-bliss” theory, fearing that if their employees engage in training, they will either talk with peers and discover they are underpaid, learn of other job opportunities or – by becoming better educated – be groomed to leave their current employer for greener pastures.

Not only is this dysfunctional mentality unfair to that particular firm’s staff, it damages the entire industry. To progress, pettiness and paranoia must be put aside in order to raise the level of expertise and professionalism of the industry’s collective whole. Yes, you might lose some people in the process, but in the long run, embracing this philosophy will elevate the qualifications and capabilities of those in the general labor pool.

Owners and operators should not shoulder all the blame for the training deficit, however. Security technicians, salespeople and others also have to take responsibility and not rely on their employers to push them. Complacency is a recipe for obsolescence. If job-related training is not offered, it is incumbent upon the worker to research the alternatives and speak with their supervisor about it. If the employer balks, then it might be time to look elsewhere.

The good news – as Senior Editor Chris Reed’s cover story shows (see “Enterprising Technicians Go on Training Trek”) – is that today there are so many different types, levels, methods and prices of industry education and training that using the excuse of it not being available no longer holds water. Manufacturers, distributors, associations, certification organizations and others offer a wealth of instruction via a broad array of delivery channels. Establishing a bona fide in-house training program is another viable option.

Company owners and managers must remember that employees who are kept up to date with training tend to be more motivated and feel greater loyalty to those who helped them improve themselves. If you do that, recruit well, pay people what they are worth and offer them a challenging career path, they will feel good about their chosen occupation – and everyone will reap the rewards.

 

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