FAST’S Impact: Charting a New Course in Industry Talent Development

The security industry is constantly evolving. Ask anyone who has been in the industry long and they can highlight a variety of changes they have seen occur. However, one thing seems to be resisting change – our industry’s challenge of attracting and retaining talent. Whatever new technologies come along, whatever processes change, however many new mergers and acquisitions happen, the persistent quest to find talent to join the security industry remains. This is where FAST comes in. The Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST) is committed to helping the industry address this workforce gap by connecting talent with careers in security. Two crucial tenets of this mission are research on behalf of the industry, and recognition of the talent we have in the industry.

The 2023 Security Industry Compensation Study was a critical project for FAST. In late 2023, FAST partnered with the Electronic Security Association (ESA), the Security Industry Association (SIA), PSA Security Network, and Security Sales & Integration Magazine
to launch the initiative which will identify trends in salary and compensation. With the detailed results forthcoming, the anticipation
surrounding this study underscores its impact and significance.

The Security Industry Compensation Study is a valuable resource for both employers and employees. For business leaders and HR professionals, the study will serve as a benchmarking tool, offering valuable data to inform compensation strategies, thus ensuring they remain competitive in attracting and retaining top talent. On the other hand, for security professionals navigating their career paths, the study’s findings will provide clarity on compensation expectations, helping them make informed decisions about their career progression and growth. Additionally, the study is poised to shed light on emerging trends, such as the impact of technological advancements on job roles and salaries, and how companies are adapting their compensation structures in response to the changing market demands. The anticipation of these insights reflects the industry’s commitment to adaptability and growth, allowing security to remain competitive with other skilled trades in 2024.

Beyond understanding the trends required to bring more talent into the industry, FAST knows that it is imperative that we recognize talent already doing great work in security. At ISC East held in November 2023, FAST was proud to present the first ever Security Technician of the Year Awards. Security technicians are a critical part of the security industry; often they are on the frontlines of security, responsible for installing and maintaining the systems that keep us safe. And as all businesses know, finding and retaining technicians is a major challenge.

To help build the profile of technicians in our industry, FAST was pleased to invite the 10 winners of this inaugural award to ISC East for a ceremony honoring their achievements. A list of these winners can be found at the end of this article. To build on the momentum from this award, FAST is looking forward to bringing the 2024 awards ceremony to ESX in June, so stay tuned for more details.

As we shift away from 2023 and move to tackle the new challenges and opportunities 2024 will bring, FAST knows that talent is a key area on business owners’ minds. That is why we are committed to providing projects and opportunities to alleviate these challenges through outreach, research, and education. Opportunity is a word that FAST is going to keep coming back to in 2024. Building a pipeline of talent to the security industry is a keyway we can help security continue to grow and thrive, and with programs like the 2023 Compensation Study and Security Technician of the Year Awards, this pipeline will only grow.

Learn more about our work, download the 2024 Compensation Study, and join the movement at advancingsecurity.org.

2023 Security Technician of the Year Awardees:

Robert Rigdon – Project Lead
Technician, Aktelecom LLC

Stephen Grossi – Senior
Technician, Security Systems
Unlimited

Burl Howard – Lead Technician,
Priority One Security

Justin McCormack – Installation
Technician, Security Pros

Joshua Devan – Field Service
Technician, Stealth Monitoring

Dustin Fields – Lead Technician,
Indiana Alarm

Raffaello Lance – Security System
Integrator, EMD LLC

Robert Johnson – Installation
Technician II, Everon

Daniel Strickfaden – Service
Technician I, Everon

Trayer Rende – Managed Services
Integration Technician, M3T
Corporation