In September, NSCA promised that it was working on an exciting project that would address the frustration we hear constantly: “We can’t find technicians with the skillsets needed to hit the ground running.” No one has the time (or resources) to put toward training technicians on the job anymore.
We also told you about our partnership with CEA and CEDIA to form the Electronic Systems Professional Alliance (ESPA). ESPA’s EST certification is given to future technicians or installers after they successfully complete a series of education and training courses. This program’s goal is to feed qualified candidates to the industry who are ready to work on the day they arrive at your office. (By the way: C-EST and C-EST L2 are now considered “one-time” certifications and serve as stepping stones to other training and certification programs.)
A few weeks ago, we unveiled our new project: the Technical Assessment Tool, which allows integrators to analyze technician and installer proficiency before hiring.
This online tool asks basic, intermediate, and advanced questions about the industry and technology. Because it is 100% customizable, you can select which categories to test for each candidate. If you’re hiring a cabling installer, you can select only the sections that apply to that position (you probably won’t need to test them on their pro sound or surveillance system expertise, for example).
Although the tool is perfect for helping screen pools of new candidates, it can also give you a better read on internal candidates. Does your project manager have the skills to move into a more technical role? Is one of your existing technicians better suited to work with unified communications and videoconferencing systems instead of fire alarms?
The Technical Assessment Tool lets you know where your potential and existing employees stand so you don’t have to guess about technical proficiency.
Available exclusively to NSCA members for a fee of $75 per exam, the tool contains 18 modules; testing a candidate in all modules takes approximately three hours. Learn more about the Technical Assessment Tool here.
Image by Stuart Miles