Industry-related certifications (ETCP, CTS, etc...)

kevlar557

Member
Hey everyone - I was offered by my company to take a few certification courses as a thank you for a job well done. I'm already in the process of getting my CTS and CTS-D, but I'm looking at a couple others, and would value your input.

I work for a A/V install company, where we typically do boardrooms, conference rooms, schools, theaters, basically everything under the sun. However due to my prior live-events experience (real-world and Full Sail Show Pro), I'm the guy that gets sent out any time a mixer more complex than a 1604 has to get installed. I also run any shows where we provide event support. Kind of an A/V jack-of-all-trades.

As I already said, I'm in the process of getting the obvious choice of CTS/CTS-D, though I am interested in something like the Entertainment Electrician ETCP cert. We're a IBEW shop (our A/V division is under the VDV agreement), and I've already been through their apprenticeship program (learned nothing about A/V haha), so I do have a pretty good grasp of electrical theory, but some of the subjects on the exam outline are things I've just never dealt with, or haven't dealt with in a long time. I already have enough "points" to take the exam. Is there a study guide for this exam like the CTS prep book?

Also wondering if anyone has taken the SynAudCon Digital course?

Any other production-related certifications out there?

Thanks everyone!
 
CTS isn't worth much. Maybe CTS-D or -I, but it's essentially a basic competency test. I have it, and it has not opened any doors, does not establish any standard level of quality work, and does not make me any extra money.

If you're AV, look at BICSI's RCDD. More like data/telecom, but I've seen more people's careers benefit from that than CTS. Anyone I've seen try to tout their CTS as having some kind of meaning usually gets laughed at. Sometimes the laughter is even held off until the person leaves the room.

In general, these certifications are either for people who have no portfolio of previous work to stand on, or to satisfy bidder qualification requirements on projects where a consultant wants to weed out potential bidders.
 
I have to agree somewhat with Mike. This industry is still the wild west when it comes to certification. ETCP is really the only certification which is widely respected throughout the industry. I think manufacturer training on specific products has value on a resume. But any other training out there is completely hit and miss as to if it will open doors for you or leave people laughing at you after you leave.

www.ETCP.Plasa.Org has all the information you need about ETCP testing. There are practice tests you can take.
 
If you have the points, I would go for ETCP. Beyond that I would agree with Gaff that manufacture specific training might be a good way for the company to spend their money. Your companies relationship with the people they buy their gear from will influence if it's better to send you to training or if they bring someone to your facility (a great opportunity for several people to get really useful training).
Some people really don't get much out of training on gear they're currently using and maintaining (I would argue this is because of attitude and ego rather than a lack of useful information, but that's a different topic all together), but when I've personally gotten that kind of training I've always taken away useful information. Even if it was just a few little tricks its good to know. It can also can also be a very telling experience to listen to someone talk with a manufacturer's mindset rather than a consumer's one.
 
To think about this from a different perspective, there is some value to the company in having staff that hold certifications.
Coroprate clients tend to get this (sometimes false) sense of security about people who are certified.

Whether the people in the industry believe the certification is worth the paper it's printed on is often a secondary consideration...

And I thought one of the requirements for CTS-D was a minimum of 2 years at CTS certification...
 
To think about this from a different perspective, there is some value to the company in having staff that hold certifications.
Coroprate clients tend to get this (sometimes false) sense of security about people who are certified.

Whether the people in the industry believe the certification is worth the paper it's printed on is often a secondary consideration...

And I thought one of the requirements for CTS-D was a minimum of 2 years at CTS certification...

Its required that you have your CTS, and at least 2 years of experience. The main reason why I'm getting the CTS/CTS-D is that we have a fair amount of bids that require CTS techs, and we don't have very many at our company. I agree that its kind of a certification that just proves you can take a test.

@porkchop - I'm all over the manufacturer-specific training, those are the ones I've gotten the most out of. But I'm one of those people that goes to learn, not to get a free vacation haha.

@MNicolai - Definitely looking at the RCDD if I continue on the path towards design-work. Luckily I already have my IN101 and I'm in class for my IN250 right now, so I'm experienced in how BISCI does their testing. Also helps that our union's training center is a BISCI-certified training center.
 

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