EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE Focus on Education in 2019 W e talk a lot about education here at ALOA — and with good reason. Education is the cornerstone of our existence as a membership organization. ALOA SPAI wouldn’t exist without the desire of its members to further themselves in their careers, and education is central to that mission. Over the years, we’ve seen ALOA Edu- cation grow as a program. Years ago, we added our certification program, and now it’s expanded to include so many special- ties, from automotive and safes to foren- sic locksmithing. We’ve amended test questions to keep up with modern tech- nology, and we’ve even let technology in- form the test procedures themselves. Now members can take certain tests online from the comfort of their own homes, without the need to even visit a testing center. Talk about progress! We are con- tinuously looking at ways to incorporate technology into our programs to make our members’ lives easier. Additionally, we’ve expanded our se- lection and depth of classes over the years as well. From fundamental lock- smithing and wiring to advanced mas- ter keying and advanced access control installations, we truly have classes for everyone. We’ve recently made a great effort to enhance and update our auto- motive classes in particular so that you receive the most up-to-date information in that ever-changing field. Convention Classes While we’ve increased our class schedule at the Aaron M. Fish Security Training Center in Dal las, TX, the ALOA 6 KEYNOTES FEBRUARY 2019 Convention and SAFETECH are s the best values for fitting in all of y educational needs over a week’s time. F both conventions, we’ve added seve new classes this year that you should t a look at. For those who are newer to sa and vaults and want to learn the ar manipulation, we’ve added a class t year to get you started. The Mechan Safe Lock Primer class is meant to fi the knowledge gap for the more begin students who want to learn manipulat but need to brush up on basics bef taking the Basic Manipulation class. This is the perfect opportunity for locksmiths to dive into the safe world. The same can be said for the three-class safe deposit series, where students can learn all about that specialized area. The ALOA Convention will have sev- eral new classes this year as well. See the brochure included with this issue for a quick preview of what’s in store for you. There will be a class covering ADA Ac- cess topics, and for our institutional lock- smiths, there is a class on vulnerability points with electronic access at schools. Both are relevant, timely topics. ALOA Scholarship Foundation We make our best efforts to keep classes and conventions as affordable as possible, from choosing value-driven host hotels to securing the best rates for our venues. ALOA truly wants to make conventions as accessible as possible to everyone. But, we know that sometimes a little financial assistance can be a great help. Please do remember that the ALOA Schol- arship Foundation gives out education plications are available directly from the ALOA office, and we occasionally print them here in Keynotes as well. Note that the deadline for submission is usually 75 days before the convention, so start think- ing about scholarship applications for the ALOA Convention now if you’d like to apply. Scholarships are available for other classes as well, including those held at the Aaron M. Fish Security Training Center. It may seem early in the year, but plan out now what classes you might like to take throughout the year so you can make all the arrangements. And if there’s some- thing specific you’d like to see on our schedule, please do let us know! Email ALOA Education at [email protected]. An educated membership is one that’s advancing the industry, in ways small and large. Thank you all for your support of ALOA Education over the years, and we hope to see you at this year’s conventions. Mary A. May Executive Director [email protected] WWW.ALOA.ORG
