CTI’s U.S. Department of Labor Registered Audiovisual Apprenticeship

Educating the Next Generation of AV Professionals, No College Degree Required

We need fresh blood in the AV industry. That’s why we started CTI’s summer internship program so that college students could see firsthand the career opportunities in commercial AV. Now CTI has created a Department of Labor‑Registered Apprenticeship for Audiovisual Technicians.

You don’t need a college degree for this one. You need to be eager, enthusiastic about a career in technology, and ready to work. Our Integration Tech Apprenticeship takes that drive and, over two years, develops skilled AV technicians without the burden of debt.

I believe it is the very first of its kind in the U.S.

Here’s what you get as a CTI Registered Apprentice:

• Hands-on competency-based training: Over 4,000 hours, apprentices master 11 key AV integration skills, including installation, calibration, and safety
• Certifications: Over 288 hours of classroom or related instruction on industry standards, CTI’s processes, certifications from AVIXA, Crestron, Q‑SYS, Audinate, and more
• Debt-free education: The training is free. No crippling student loans. No painful tuition bills
• Earn while you learn: You get paid throughout the program, even as you train. No waiting until graduation to make a living. Learning and work happen together
• Federally recognized certification: Recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, your certification never expires

Anyone who’s worked with me knows I believe a great attitude, drive, and willingness to learn matter more than a diploma from ‘the right college.’ The right people are more critical to building a great company than a degree. Character, curiosity, work ethic. A willingness to learn. These are all core to CTI’s culture.

CTI was “growing so fast we needed to be able to train people faster.”

That’s what Cathy Kelly, our Chief People Officer, said when we launched CTI-University, our online ‘learn at your own pace’ education portal. CTI-U offers hundreds of courses. We cover everything from how our internal systems work at CTI to technical training to how to behave in a business environment.

I was delighted at how quickly it became a staple here.

As we’ve grown, we’ve added more ‘schools’ to maintain our people at the highest level and ensure our processes remain consistent across all our locations. Closer College, where we train our project completion experts, CTI ACED for our Project Managers. We coach our design consultants and drive our engineers, programmers, and all our technical staff to get their certifications and keep up with the latest developments in technology.

A considerable percentage of the people here at CTI, and across the industry, began their careers as technicians. They learned the job from the ground up, inside and out. They developed an interest or expertise, then built the skills to move to the next level. I love seeing that happen.

I run an AV business to fund an education program.

It’s a joke I’ve made for years: CTI is an education company funded by an AV integration and live events business. I love professional audiovisual work. Helping people communicate better has been my passion for almost three decades. Honestly, I think giving back to the industry by bringing in new people, excited about the opportunities, and training them to be the best in the business is the least I can do.

I’m not exaggerating much when I say half the industry got here by accident. Heck, the percentage of people who fell into AV is probably higher than that. But it’s time for us all, as individuals, as companies, and as an industry, to keep driving standards, like AVIXA’s Certified Technology Specialist, or our own Department of Labor‑Registered Apprenticeship for Audiovisual Technicians. The systems we build every day, from conference rooms to broadcast studios to mission-critical command centers, demand the best possible training we can provide our people.

That’s the right thing for our clients. It’s the right thing for CTI. And it’s the right thing for the industry.

Would you like to learn more about any of our programs at CTI? Reach out to me today.