SIA Learning and Development: A Year in Review

Providing quality education and professional development opportunities for security professionals is a cornerstone of the Security Industry Association’s (SIA’s) strategic framework and an integral aspect of its key services provided to SIA members. Some learning needs across the industry remain constant from year to year. For example, providing high-caliber conference programming on emerging trends, business insights, innovative technology applications and vertical market case studies will continue to drive thought leadership and education sharing at popular industry events.

While the SIA Education@ISC Advisory Board works to provide impactful conference content from year to year, the SIA Learning and Development Committee has established long-term goals and objectives around upskilling the current and future security workforce. Led by chair Chris Peckham, chief operating officer (COO) of Ollivier, and vice chair Rob Hile, sales manager, GC&E Systems Group, the Learning and Development Committee has taken a multitiered approach to tackling some of our industry’s most significant human capital deficiencies: recruitment of new talent and cybersecurity acumen.

 “Talking with integrators and manufacturers every day it is evident that our industry needs to attract new talent and find effective ways to upskill workers who are out in the field today. Even more, we need to invest in developing technical skills for employees and new hires to keep up with the pace of change within the security industry.”

– Rob Hile

The need to attract new talent with technical skills into the security industry led to the development of SIA’s Security Systems Technician (SST) Apprenticeship Program. Registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, the SST apprenticeship program addresses the need for technical acumen and cybersecurity skills among technicians and installers while casting a wide net to attract new talent nationally.

The program leverages the capabilities of SIAcademy, SIA’s new learning management system, to deliver self-paced, interactive training that allows apprentices to fulfill training requirements while working full-time and gaining on-the-job experience. This “earn and learn” model enables apprentices to effectively manage their time while balancing essential education courses with day-to-day job responsibilities.

As a talent recruitment tool, the apprentice program formalizes the work performed by technicians and installers working with low-voltage electronic security equipment and provides a pathway for individuals seeking entry into the workforce with a defined pathway for skill development and career advancement. As a strategic workforce development intervention, the apprenticeship program also equips the next generation of security technicians and installers with the technical skills needed to defend against ever-evolving cyber risks and vulnerabilities.

Building upon SIA’s commitment to bolster cybersecurity proficiency for individuals who are responsible for the installation, configuration, networking and maintenance of networked security systems, the Security Industry Cybersecurity Certification (SICC) provides a capstone credential for apprentices who successfully complete the program and acquire two-years of on-the-job experience.

“The inception of the SICC was to address a fundamental knowledge gap that still exists. It now serves dual purposes. First, to qualify individuals who currently perform the work, and, second, to provide an achievement milestone for individuals who are new to the field and striving to hone their cybersecurity skills.“

– Chris Peckham

Cybersecurity and other technical skills are highly sought after in today’s competitive labor market, but finding time to learn new skills and invest in your career development is a challenge for many busy professionals. SIAcademy LIVE! courses offer industry professionals the opportunity to increase their breadth of technical knowledge around access control and video surveillance systems, cybersecurity, and other technical and business topics. These live, online courses are delivered in an interactive format and recorded so learners can access them on-demand to fit their busy schedules.

“SIA wants to make learning fun, engaging and easily accessible so people can stay at the forefront of their profession and excel in their careers while balancing work-life responsibilities. We also strive to develop programs that set a high standard of achievement to ensure that professionals maintain a proficient level knowledge and skill to effectively perform their jobs which is essential to the safety and security functions they perform.“

– Dr. Elli Reges

In 2024, SIA will offer additional education benefits to its members which will include licensing new education content, microsite capabilities through SIAcademy and training offerings in Security Project Management, SIA’s Open Supervised Device Protocol and more…

Share your thoughts with us! What programs do you want to see in 2024? Reach out to the SIA Learning and Development team at education@securityindustry.org to share your ideas and learn how to get involved.