Matt Nimmons, Operations Director at CEDIA explains how the home technology industry could be the right move for you and highlights the organisation’s current training opportunities, career pathways and course options.
To many electricians, the home technology industry may be a daunting, unfamiliar territory. Nonetheless, more and more consumers are beginning to see the appeal of the smart home and the ultimate convenience it provides. End users are given the ability to control a number of home features such as lighting, audio, blinds and security at the push of a button from one device or even via voice control. It therefore makes sense for electrical contractors to have the specialist ability to work in the home technology sector and accommodate the growing technical needs of their clients.
Making the move to working with smart homes, as well as developing business relationships with CEDIA members and the rest of the home technology sector is another way for electrical contractors to increase business opportunities. With new technology, unfamiliar terminology and specialist integration skills, without the necessary training, this can be an overwhelming step up for many electrical contractors. Training is an important way for electricians to access and benefit from this highly profitable market.
City & Guilds Courses
At the beginning of 2016, CEDIA launched two new training courses, Smart Home Technician and Smart Home Designer tracks, that have been recognised by City & Guilds, the international governing body for training. Attendees who successfully complete the courses will obtain the only City & Guilds certification in the smart home technology industry, helping them stand out as true professionals in a very competitive market.
CEDIA’s City & Guild’s programmes are the ideal training programmes for electrical contractors to increase their proficiency within the home technology industry. Combining a range of CEDIA courses, the programmes allow participants to develop a comprehensive knowledge across the industry. CEDIA’s Smart Home Technician features 12 courses from the CEDIA Boot Camp, ESC Technical and Networking schools. Attendees to the course undertake modules on Home Cinema & HD Video Distribution, Rack Building & Wiring Fundamentals, Smart Home Control & Lighting Systems and Wireless Residential Networking before sitting the certification examinations (ESC-T and ESC-N).
CEDIA’s City & Guild’s accredited Smart Home Designer track is also recommended for electrician’s wanting to expand their expertise into home technology. The programme is formed of eight training courses from CEDIA’s popular Designer School, Lighting and Home Cinema Design Packages.
Certsure Courses
CEDIA has also partnered with Certsure, a foundation for building services certification, to host a new and very popular two-day course. The ‘Data Cabling for Domestic Installers’ course has been designed specifically for established electricians who are planning to branch out and extend their services to the smart home industry.
During the course, delegates will be guided through 
practical demonstrations, including fitting and testing connections and wiring a data network suitable for a smart home. The first day will cover ‘Cables and Connectivity’ with day two focusing on ‘Data Networks in Residential Properties’.
After successfully completing this course, electrical contractors will be able to develop their knowledge and skills in numerous areas within smart home technology, including audio and video distribution, sub-system integration and control.
New opportunities
CEDIA provides various courses and opportunities that are suitable for electrical contractors and smart home integration novices, as well as more experienced industry members to further a career path in AV. For beginners wanting to discover more about the home technology industry, there are introductory courses, or if you already work in the smart home automation, there are opportunities to gain more knowledge about the industry and become City & Guild’s certified.
To find out more about all of the courses, career pathways and training that CEDIA has to offer and how they can benefit electricians, we advise you to download the new Training and Curriculum Guide at www.cediaeducation.com/curriculum-guide.
