PBSC panel to discuss need for low voltage technicians Sept. 16

Posted 9/4/20

LAKE WORTH — As consumers and businesses increasingly use digital technologies to control security, thermostats, lighting, intercoms, entertainment systems and more, the need for low voltage …

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PBSC panel to discuss need for low voltage technicians Sept. 16

Posted

LAKE WORTH — As consumers and businesses increasingly use digital technologies to control security, thermostats, lighting, intercoms, entertainment systems and more, the need for low voltage technicians also has increased.

Palm Beach State College will host a virtual panel discussion with industry leaders on low voltage technician careers from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Anyone interested in registering for the free Zoom event should visit engage.palmbeachstate.edu and search for “low voltage.”

Panelists include Angela Barnard, CEO, Audio Visual Systems; Rick Seymour, CEO, CSI Palm Beach and Carpenter Electric; and Alan Mullenax, instructor for PBSC’s Low Voltage Technician certificate program. Panel moderator will be Thomas Gauthier, Ed.D., associate dean for the College’s Industry, Manufacturing, Construction and Transportation Department.

“With so many people laid off due to COVID-19, low voltage is a great field to consider getting into,” Gauthier said. “Graduates of our two-semester program have many career options to choose from ranging from security and home automation installation to maintaining the systems that control hospitals, offices and other community structures. There’s room for growth in responsibility and salary.”

Alex Acevedo graduated from the Low Voltage Technician program last July and went directly into a project coordinator position at Life Safety Management (https://lifesafetymanagement.com/), a fire alarm and sprinkler contractor in Boynton Beach. His knowledge of the low voltage field made him the ideal candidate to run the company’s permitting department.

“The program really opened doors for me,” Acevedo said. “The low voltage field is very big. Everything is low voltage nowadays as everything’s becoming more automated. If you have an understanding of low voltage, you can go a lot of places. I feel like I struck gold coming out of school and getting this good of a company to take me on.”

Panelist Rick Seymour notes that with people staying home due to the pandemic, there’s been a demand for upgrades. “The low voltage industry is continuing to grow. There are more and more smart homes, and it all has to be tied into the internet. Think about Zoom — that wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for low voltage networks.”

A low voltage technician career is a good match for people with mechanical ability as well as an interest in high-tech systems and how different technologies work together. In PBSC’s Low Voltage Technician program, students learn to install, configure, integrate and repair all types of low voltage systems used by residential customers and businesses.

The next class starts Oct. 5, and the cost is approximately $3,000 for Florida residents. Financial aid and scholarships are available for those who qualify. For more information about the program, visit palmbeachstate.edu/r/Industry or call Jenny Posadas, program director, at 561-868-3541.

pbsc, virtual

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