Boot Camps For Security Technicians?

JH
John Honovich
•Sep 14, 2017
IPVM

Boot camps have become a significant force in software development, taking in novices or amateurs and hoping to transform them into professional developers in a few months.

The short video below introduces the concept:

My question is: What do you think about boot camps for security technicians? It's obviously not going to result in the same pay as software developers nor can it cost us as much. However, there is generally a shortage of entry level technicians and for say 2 months of hands-on training could result in some good entry level technicians.

I know their a SIA community college program but boot camps are popular alternative for being shorter and more focused on the real technical skills needed.

So what do you think? What opportunities or problems do you see?

Also, vote:

 

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Ari Erenthal
•Sep 14, 2017
Chesapeake & Midlantic

I keep hearing about the technician shortage from security integrators. Maybe this is one solution. 

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Mark Jones
•Sep 15, 2017

I think this is fine, but it has nothing to do with Physical Security. The Physical Security Industry needs exactly the same thing and has for years.

(1)
JH
John Honovich
•Sep 15, 2017
IPVM
In reply to Mark Jones

What is fine? What has nothing to do with physical security?

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Mark Jones
•Sep 15, 2017
In reply to John Honovich

This is coding.  Hacking security.  It is necessary and we don't need to look any further than the headlines to see it's impact on our lives daily.  

The physical installation industry has needed a similar training program for decades.

When the current generation of physical security professionals ages out, and that is not too much longer, who will actually go out and physically fix things like CCTV wiring issues, alarm wiring issues, and access control wiring issues?  

In NC alone the average age of an electrician, low voltage or not, is over 55.  Of the hundreds of licensed electricians in this State, less than 50 are below age 30.  That is 50...total.  Someone has to be able to read a meter and fix something.

Where is the next generation going to come from?  Someone actually has to go out and do the work sometimes.

 

 

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MM
Michael Miller
•Sep 15, 2017

Lack of quality techs is the main issue that is holding us back.  So much opportunity and not enough people to take it all on at once.   I would love something like this. 

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Mike Dotson
•Sep 15, 2017
Formerly of Seneca • IPVMU Certified

The need for this is there.    Our Customer Service department is constantly taking calls from field techs who really do not understand the security system they are looking at.  This is because the company only sent one tech to training and they are not the one calling in.

The hard part is how to make it affordable.  Travel to a class is very expensive.

An online class with something like Skype will work decently to present material and interact.    If 'hands on' is included, a virtual classroom can be used on a machine running a VM service to be able to interact with a running system.

A challenge will be to have a way to include some of the physical access things like badge readers and door locks etc in a remote context

 

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Mark Jones
•Sep 15, 2017
In reply to Mike Dotson

Nice website Mike.  

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Mike Dotson
•Sep 15, 2017
Formerly of Seneca • IPVMU Certified
In reply to Mike Dotson

As an example of an existing one, Securitytodayacademy.com has a  selection of online classes.

Does anyone have any experience on these to say if they help or not?

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JH
John Honovich
•Sep 15, 2017
IPVM
In reply to Mike Dotson

Mike, how did you find that? :)

It's a marketing promo for Stam Interactive, they have been around for a long time but I've never heard anyone take it. Maybe some people take it for CEUs, I don't know.

I did take one of their courses a few years back, simply to understand what the quality was and it was terrible. It was extremely outdated and simplistic. It made manufacturer training look like MIT.

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