Training

CEDIA MAKES TRAINING ACCESSIBLE FOR ELECTRICIANS

Life today is very different than any of us ever expected, writes Matt Nimmons, Managing Director at CEDIA EMEA.

With so many people spending much more time at home during this period, CEDIA has seen significant new investment in the technology areas where its members excel. Clients have sought professional help in getting better entertainment, comfort and security for their homes, as well as CEDIA’s expert design, installation and integration skills to create secure, robust and functional environments to allow working from home.

CEDIA is there to help electricians capitalise on the continuing boom in demand for professional smart home services with a new education initiative launched this year.

CEDIA’s Cabling and Infrastructure Technician (CIT) School is an education pathway that is targeted at electricians who have a desire to begin their journey to professional certification. The course has been running as a highly dynamic hybrid learning experience that combines both online and on-site elements.

The hybrid course covers the basics of electricity, jobsite safety, project documentation, tools, cable, and cable properties, as well as the pre-wire and first fix phases of projects. Students learn how to safely and effectively follow direction to install, terminate, and verify cabling in both new construction and retrofit environments.

Featuring five self-paced modules, the online portion of this course’s content focusses on providing the foundational knowledge required to begin working as a technician, installing cabling and infrastructure to support integrated communications and entertainment systems in the home.

The in-person sessions expand upon the vast technical knowledge from the CEDIA Academy. This three-day course involves hands-on activities that are designed to give you a feel for those on-the-job tasks. The final portion of the CIT hybrid school is completion of the CEDIA Cabling and Infrastructure Technician certification exam.

Tom Winters of Smart Spark Solutions recently completed the hybrid course in the UK and found the course invaluable in progressing his career.

“The online units were a great way of familiarising myself with the basics before attending the face-to-face classes. As you’d expect, I learnt more from the in-person training, but having the online units to complete first gave me a great foundation of understanding, which allowed me to feel ready for the classes,” he says.

“Geoff Meads was incredibly knowledgeable on all topics covered in the course and was an enthusiastic trainer who brought a ton of energy to each day, making it a fun experience. Geoff managed the different levels of knowledge of each attendee really well. I was probably the least experienced on the course and appreciated that he still went over every topic in detail so that I gained the understanding that I required.

“In terms of attending a face-to-face session in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt that the social distancing and safety methods that CEDIA put in place were very well managed.

“Overall, the hybrid course has helped me elevate my knowledge and skills to a more professional level. I would encourage those who are not sure if it is for them to attend as it is well worth doing, particularly if you are looking to step up your expertise within the AV and home technology industry. I really enjoyed the course so much that I have now registered for the Integrated Systems Technician (IST) School to make the next step following on from my completion of the CIT course and exam.”

For more information, visit cedia.net/ education-events/education/cit-school.

The long-term success of the smart home sector is reliant upon a well-trained and professional workforce. For this reason, CEDIA continues to focus on its educational pathways to ensure that industry professionals can always be at the top of their game. CEDIA’s investment in its online education has been and will continue to be substantial.

The CEDIA Academy represents a huge step forward in its online curriculum, offering both technical and business focused courses for integrators at a variety of career levels. As our business and personal lives continue to be disrupted, CEDIA is providing hours of valuable online learning to allow professionals to develop their skills and knowledge of the smart home industry. To support CEDIA members, the organisation has made 200 hours of its CEDIA Academy content available as a free resource. The learning insights available on this platform are huge and Matt is urging all contractors thinking about smart home to take a deeper dive, when they’re ready, and explore what’s there to benefit you and your business.

The CEDIA Academy has been built hand-in-hand with improvements to CEDIA’s ISO accredited certification programme, and with industry standards in mind. By combining these important areas, CEDIA has been able to ensure that learners are equipped with effective exam preparation and, ultimately, professional accreditation.

There has never been a better time to find out more about smart home technology, and how to offer it as a service to your customers. Electricians can connect to more information on CEDIA online education at CEDIA.net, which will be continuously updated as more offerings are made available.

CEDIA’s Cabling and Infrastructure Technician (CIT) School is an education pathway that is targeted at electricians who have a desire to begin their journey to professional certification

“CEDIA is there to help electricians capitalise on the continuing boom in demand for professional smart home services with a new education initiative launched this year”