The security industry is a highly competitive industry. As a result professionals constantly find themselves in need of brushing up their skills to maintain competitiveness. This can be done through training.
The security industry is a highly competitive industry. As a result professionals constantly find themselves in need of brushing up their skills to maintain competitiveness. A recent survey released by
The Linx International Group, a consultancy providing security, risk management and training services, highlights a clear commitment to professional and personal development through training.
During the summer of 2017, 1,000 security professionals working across industries in the private and public sector participated in the study, which was conducted by the Linx International Group on behalf of its group companies – Linx Consultancy, ARC Training, Perpetuity Academy and Tavcom Training. The findings reveal that security professionals are taking their careers and skills development seriously, with continuous professional development (76 percent), certification/training (71 percent) and personal development (64 percent) cited as the three main drivers for undertaking training.
This attention to personal and professional progression is reflected in how training is being paid for, with over half (51 percent) of all respondents paying for training themselves. According to Linx, given the range of delivery options and complexity of the courses, the organization offers training from US$13.20 for bite-size eLearning through to $6,785 for their eLearning MSc in International Security and Risk Management in collaboration with the University of South Wales.
The survey also highlights a wide acknowledgement of the importance of recognized training qualifications, with 81 percent stating its importance to them as an individual, 68 percent acknowledged its importance to the organization and 74 percent recognized the positive impact recognized training qualifications have on their respective industries.
According to Angus Darroch-Warren, Group Director at The Linx International Group, the security sector is extremely competitive and fast-paced, and individuals need to engage in professional development to ensure they are up to date with legislation, new technologies and ever-changing threat trends affecting their day to day activities. “Accredited training is core to standing out from the crowd when applying for new roles, either internally or externally, to secure salary uplifts and maintain career progression,” he said. “As many security practitioners transition from other professions, or from public sector roles in the military or the police, they need effective, relevant training on security specific subjects. Businesses need to invest in their people to bring added value to a very competitive market by maintaining professional standards.”
The study finds classroom-based training remains the most popular teaching method, however e-learning is gaining momentum with 60 percent of respondents having already taken part in some form of e-learning and 70 percent likely to do so in the future. Respondents also expect their participation in distance learning, blended learning and training led by a virtual instructor, to increase.
The focus areas security professionals are looking to gain more expertise in include: security management (63 percent), security consultancy (61 percent), counter-terrorism (55 percent) and crisis management (47 percent). Speaking on the latter two, Darroch-Warren said: “The threats to organizations across the world are changing – security professionals need to continually update their knowledge and understanding of adversaries and their methodologies. With litigation for ‘negligent security’ increasingly common, security professionals must be able to demonstrate they have taken reasonable and proportionate measures to meet duty of care responsibilities. They need to be able to effectively manage crises, whether man made or environmental, to ensure the continued success of the organization. In a world with increasingly complex threats, security professionals must be proactive in their approach to managing these risks – effective, accredited training is the primary method for doing so.”