Building Skills, Strengthening the Business

By Nicholas John Ducote, Learning & Development Manager at Preferred Technologies and member of PSA Security Network’s Workforce Development Committee

Think about the last time someone asked you to do something new at work. Did you know what a good result looked like? Did you have a chance to practice? Did anyone check that you were ready? Those answers shape an employee’s confidence and the quality of work a customer receives.

In physical security, readiness matters because customers depend on the systems we install and maintain to protect people and property. For AV integrators working across both environments, familiar skills provide a foundation, but we still need to develop the additional capabilities the work requires.

Hiring the right people is important. Developing them deserves just as much attention. Developing from within gives employees a path to grow, helps organizations prepare for future work, and supports the quality customers expect. Connecting job expectations to learning makes that investment practical.

That connection requires a partnership between Operations and Learning and Development (L&D). Operations understands the work and what customers need. L&D helps turn those expectations into learning opportunities. Together, they identify needed skills and provide opportunities to practice and apply them. Both help ensure learning translates into better on-the-job performance.

The starting point is competency. The word can sound technical, but the idea is straightforward: what does someone know, what can they do, and how do they behave? Technical skills matter, but so does how employees show up. Being on time, communicating professionally with customers and teammates, working safely, and completing required training are all part of meeting a role’s expectations. A technician’s readiness includes both their technical ability and professional behavior.

For technical teams, an entry-level technician’s progression offers a practical example. A competency framework is a shared guide to expectations at each level. In security and audiovisual integration, it might cover electrical fundamentals, structured cabling, access control, networking, and system testing. As they move through each level, the tasks become more advanced and more closely aligned with the work and responsibilities of that role. The framework should be clear enough for an employee to say, “Here is what I can do today, and here is what I need to learn next.” Managers should use the same expectations when discussing assignments and advancement. If people have to guess what growth requires, we have more work to do.

A technician’s development starts with understanding what they can already do and where they need support. Someone qualified assesses their work against those expectations. The findings help identify next steps, while also distinguishing a demonstrated gap from a task someone simply has not had the opportunity to perform.

Those findings should guide learning. An online lesson might explain a concept. An instructor-led course might offer instruction and application in a controlled environment. Working alongside an experienced colleague might help apply a skill on the job. The method should fit the need. The technician is then reassessed to confirm they can perform the required tasks to the expected standard.

This cycle helps managers plan assignments and development. L&D can use findings across teams to identify common needs and provide the right learning. The business gains a clearer picture of its capability and readiness for customer work.

Development can begin with workforce programs such as internships or entry-level technician training programs that help people with little industry experience build the skills needed for their first technical role. Existing employees deserve the same attention. Clear requirements, cross-training, and opportunities to take on new work help people see a future with the organization. That can support retention, but only when backed up with real growth opportunities.

Growth can extend into project management, operations, or sales. Technical experience provides a foundation, while a framework for the new role identifies the additional knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed. For example, a technician interested in project management might shadow a project manager, complete relevant coursework, and practice planning work with guidance before taking responsibility for a project. This supports succession by preparing employees for future roles, building bench strength, and giving the business more people ready to take on responsibility.

Our customers’ evolving needs can also guide development. If a project requires an access control system or a new application or hardware the team has not worked with, we can identify the knowledge and skills needed before work begins. Training builds understanding; applying the required tasks to the expected standard confirms readiness. Explaining how the team was prepared and assessed gives customers greater confidence in the work we deliver. That helps the organization compete on capability and quality.

Start with one area of work. Define what success looks like, establish how employees will learn and determine how readiness will be demonstrated. Then follow through. How we develop our people matters. When learning leads to demonstrated capability and opportunities to grow, organizations build strength from within, and customers have a reason to trust the quality they are paying for.

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About Nicholas

Nicholas Ducote is the Learning & Development Manager at Preferred Technologies, bringing over 15 years of experience in learning, talent management, and employee development. He holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Management and is passionate about creating meaningful development experiences that empower employees to grow and succeed. His strength lies in understanding the employee experience and connecting individual aspirations with organizational needs to create practical, impactful learning solutions. Nicholas believes that effective development starts with people and that investing in their growth is essential to building stronger teams and driving business success. Nicholas also serves on the PSA Security Network Workforce Development Committee.