Finding and retaining new talent is one of the top challenges facing the security industry, and particularly when it comes to the essential role of security technicians. One way the industry is responding is through the efforts of the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST), a nonprofit founded by the Security Industry Association (SIA) and the Electronic Security Association (ESA) and dedicated to connecting motivated, talented professionals with new opportunities in the physical security and life safety industry. 

FAST recently welcomed its first-ever executive director, Aiden O’Brien, who works to carry out FAST’s mission by raising awareness of career opportunities within he security industry and building the talent pipeline. For this month’s Workforce Strategies column, SIA spoke with O’Brien about the importance of security technicians and FAST’s ideas and initiatives around solving the industry’s hiring challenges.