Assess Your Skills / Curriculum Map
History of Curriculum Map
The SIA Curriculum Map, with its framework Competency Model, was established to create a solid foundation for the necessary knowledge and skills in the security technology industry. From this solid foundation, standards could be set for expected performance by professionals in the industry, and support and guidance given to those who wished to achieve 'top performer' levels of skill.
The following major project phases represented the Curriculum Mapping project:
- Critical Job Functions Identified in Channel
- Competency Models established with target 'top performer' skill levels identified
- Curriculum Map established, mapping available curriculum to the needed skills
Gap Analysis for Learning Needs in the Industry
Project Teams
The unique value that SIA member volunteers bring to the table is their depth and breadth of experience in the technology side of the security industry. For this project, representatives from top-tier companies like ASSA ABLOY, Axis Communications, HID Global, Hirsch, Panasonic and Pelco participated in the development of models for the Access Control and CCTV / Video Systems segments of the industry.
Critical Job Roles
The first task was to identify the critical job roles to tackle first. Critical job roles were rated by their impact on the customer experience with, and on the representation of, the technology applications available in the industry. With this criteria in mind, the following first seven job roles were identified:
- Account Manager
- Project Manager
- Applications Engineer
- Service Technician
- System Administrator
- Network Technician
- Installation Technician
Competency Model
A competency model is a listing of all the skills needed, at the appropriate skill level, to perform a given job role (or set of job roles) effectively in a given industry or environment (such as a specific organization).
The SIA Curriculum Mapping Project Teams built the industry competency model based on several key sources:
- A Baseline Competency Model from a similar technology-related industry
- Primary Interviews with Top Performers in the Industry
- Secondary Interviews with Informed Observers (supervisors of target job roles)
- Subject Matter Experts (professionals with 20+ average years in industry)
The result was a model including 72 competencies, or skill areas, categorized into seven topic areas:
- Personal Skills
- Leadership and Management Skills
- Sales and Marketing Skills
- Information Technology Skills
- Quality Management Skills
- Finance and Administration Skills
Curriculum Map
Each individual who uses the self-assessment can produce a personal "learning path," based on his/her skills compared to the skills of the top performer profile. The recommended curriculum will help that individual reach the skill level he/she seeks to be a top performer in his/her job role.
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