Is DHTI Certification important to installation companies? Is it a marketing plus to have certified installation technicians?

Tim,

Certifications when not required by the government are tricky.  What I mean is… if the state requires a license or certification for a class of worker, then the stage is set.  Otherwise, what does a certfication really do? or show?  Here’s my thought.

Is DHTI Certification important to installation companies?

No.

Is it a marketing plus to have certified installation technicians?

Yes.  But then any good marketing is a plus.

Now then - why do I say no to DHTI+ certification.  Because it isn’t the certification that matters.  I have come across inept and certified technicians.  Also, some of the best technicians I’ve ever seen did not have any certification.  Having said that, if you can work certification into the process of getting your technicians more skills and better pay, then use it.  LEARNING is essential in this industry but certification is not yet standardized or valued much.

Compare it to the Cedia certifications.  It seems to me that more of the top integrators look to that than the CEA/CompTIA programs.  In fact look at the CEA web site http://www.ce.org and you’ll see they don’t even point to the DHTI+ certification, look at the ESPA cert. it is now what Cedia is using for their level I tech certification.

So, keep learning!  If you earn a certification along the way - frame and hang the paper and congratulations.

Thanks Morgan,

I work for a communtiy college and we are trying to develop and deliver a DHTI certification program.

I’m trying to validate the market place.

It would seem that you are telliing me that the “body of knowledge” is probably important, but that the certification may not be…

Who should we be trying to “sell” this training to… The individual or the company that they work for…?

Tim

It seems to me that your audience is the individual technician.  But there is an angle either way you approach it.  I’m sure your experience is that with the economy the way it is, neither is very receptive to spending money right now.  But a community college is in a good position, probably better than any other education provider.  You have people coming to you in need, now you can set it up to add this to what you offer.  And it is an industry that everyone knows and understands is still viable.  Then you need the career center to be reaching out to employers in the industry to let them know when students graduate.