MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM ELECTRICIAN TO SMART HOME INTEGRATOR

CEDIA is the industry association that can help electrical contractors successfully develop their careers, enabling them to take advantage of the rapid growth in consumer demand for professionally installed smart home technology, writes Matt Nimmons, Managing Director of CEDIA EMEA.

We are seeing more and more newcomers coming into the professional home technology industry, and, from an electrical contractor’s perspective, there are a core set of skills that are very natural to build upon.

Ben Pratt, owner of B Electrical and White Onyx Automation, is a CEDIA member who offers a great example of someone who has recognised the business opportunity and moved to address it. Here’s what he has to say:

“After starting my electrical career by working on low-end domestic jobs, I moved into the high-end residential market in 2016. It was here that I discovered smart home control systems, such as Lutron and Savant, and after looking into them in more detail, I found a new love for engineering and that was how I found myself immersing myself in the smart home industry.

“Up until this point, I didn’t even know that this market existed. I had worked on a large Lutron project as the electrician and was frustrated that I had to stop at just putting the cables in, with someone else, another contractor from a CEDIA member company, coming in to do the rest of the job. I was quite overwhelmed by what I was seeing and inspired to find out more about it. Who was this contractor? And what did he have that I didn’t?

“Very quickly I realised that I had plenty to learn. Some of my skills were definitely transferrable – wiring and cabling, and my experience and training working with typical electrical services.

But I had to work on understanding other technologies, especially around audio and home cinema systems, data networks and the integration of all the sub-systems onto a single, unified control platform. If I could get a grip on all of that then it would allow me to take on a larger part of a project and build a home automation business.

“Having made that decision, I had to find a way in. It was a bit tough as there didn’t seem to be many easy paths. So, I started asking other integrators if I could lend a hand and it got to a point where I thought I’m going to have to throw myself into this, invest in myself and make a real go of it. Having the passion was definitely helpful in pushing me forward – it was something new and exciting.

“Once I’d found my feet, I was starting to find myself in the running for larger projects where the audio-visual element was significant. The problem was that I was up against other integrators who had AV or automation actually in their company name. Being named B Electrical against someone who was obviously a specialist in the field was a barrier, so I decided to create a separate company name for this side of my business, called White Onyx Automation. This changed perceptions about my business. Now I was able to secure these larger jobs and had the added benefit of owning two different but related companies, meaning that I could do both the electrical work and the ‘AV’ and ‘automation’ side of the job.

“I joined CEDIA as a member because I knew that if I wanted to be taken seriously in the industry it was important to be a member of the association. Also, I saw the benefits that it offers integrators, such as industry training, events, and other valuable resources. CEDIA produces a range of white papers, in particular, that have really helped me find my feet in this market and develop my skills further. They have such a large portfolio available to the industry that I would encourage any electrical contractor to take advantage of these resources. They are fantastic. CEDIA has genuinely helped me fill in so many gaps which I’m not sure I could have done otherwise.

“And there’s always more to learn. My next step with CEDIA is to attend its Outreach Instructor course in September. This training will allow me to build relationships with architects and interior designers because it will qualify me to deliver CEDIA Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses to these audiences.”

Ben’s journey is one that many electrical contractors would be interested in following. CEDIA is here to provide not just the in-person and online education and resources to support such a move, but it can also help answer your questions, provide guidance and connect you with a great community of industry professionals and suppliers.

The two education packages that are fundamental to any contractor who is looking to start their journey in the smart home industry are Smart Home Technician Essentials and Smart Home Technician Further Skills.

The five-day Smart Home Technician Essentials pathway offers a solid foundation for electricians interested in starting their careers in the industry or supporting junior technicians in their journey towards CEDIA certification. The package covers essential topics such as audio and video fundamentals, best practice in structured cabling and smart home subsystems, as well as design and installation of AV racks. The last day of the programme also covers the UK’s regulations of electrical safety.

The five-day Smart Home Technician Further Skills package is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of individuals who already have some experience in the field or who have completed the Smart Home Technician Essentials package. This more advanced training equips learners with the expertise to handle more complex smart home systems. The package covers topics such as wired and wireless networking, lighting systems and control, fundamentals of home cinema design, as well as the principles of project and business processes.

There has never been a better time for electrical contractors to make the transition to the professional home technology industry.

CEDIA, cedia.net

There has never been a better time for electrical contractors to make the transition to the professional home technology industry