In June 2016, InfoComm invited California community colleges and K-12 districts to an education session at its annual trade show in Las Vegas to introduce educators to its Certified Technology Specialist program.
InfoComm encouraged educators to integrate its curriculum into their pathways and programs to prepare students for the certification exams. It was the only ANSI-accredited audiovisual certification under the International Standard ISO/IEC 17024.
After reviewing the CTS curriculum, Laney and CCSF decided to collaborate: Laney had a CTS certificate program (but it needed a certified instructor to teach AV Essentials I and II), and CCSF offered courses needed in an updated program that Laney did not offer.
The project was seeded with funding from the San Francisco College and Career Pathways Trust and implemented with funding from the Strong Workforce Program as a SWP Regional Joint Venture.
CCSF’s Broadcast Electronic Media Arts (BEMA) department and Laney’s Media Communications department collaborated to offer a regional pathway to InfoComm International’s Certified Technology Specialist certificate, an audiovisual professional credential. Career Ladders Project facilitated the collaboration, which Diablo Valley College and College of San Mateo have now joined.
InfoComm is the trade association representing the professional audiovisual and information communications industries worldwide. The $85 billion AV industry is growing rapidly and AV professionals earn an excellent living in a rapidly changing, high-tech field. Along with this growth and the “graying out” of the current workforce, InfoComm is concerned that there are not enough qualified new entrants. Labor market information and supply-side data showed revealed high demand for AV techs across the Bay Area but no colleges offering certificates. For more detailed information on the occupation, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s careeronestop.org.