The building automation industry is facing a severe workforce crisis. Experienced technicians are retiring, demand for smart building solutions is growing, and companies are scrambling to find skilled workers.
The biggest issue? It takes too long to train new technicians.
Most companies still rely on traditional apprenticeship models and informal on-the-job training, which can take 18 to 24 months to develop a fully capable technician. That means businesses are waiting nearly two years before a new hire becomes profitable.
For many companies, this delay is costing millions.
The True Financial Cost of Technician Shortages
Every unfilled technician role is a direct hit to a company’s bottom line. Let’s break it down:
- The average building automation technician generates $250,000 to $500,000 in annual revenue.
- A single unfilled technician position can cost a company $20,000 to $40,000 per month in lost revenue.
- Extending training timelines by two years delays $500,000 to $1 million in potential revenue per technician.
- Companies are losing contracts because they do not have enough skilled labor.
One operations director at a leading controls contractor shared their frustration:
“We had to turn down a $1.5 million project last quarter because we didn’t have the people to do the work. We’re literally leaving money on the table because we can’t train fast enough.”
It is not just revenue loss that hurts businesses, companies are also burning out their existing staff. With too few trained technicians available, experienced employees are stuck working overtime, covering gaps, and mentoring new hires indefinitely. This leads to higher turnover and more unfilled positions, creating a vicious cycle.
A regional service manager put it bluntly:
“We tried to avoid hiring inexperienced techs, but we never catch up. By the time we get an experienced hire, we’ve lost two more people. It feels impossible to close the gap.”
Traditional Training Models Are Too Slow
The industry’s reliance on long-term, unstructured training methods is a major factor behind the workforce crisis.
- Senior technicians don’t have time to train new hires while managing full workloads.
- On-the-job training is inconsistent, leaving gaps in knowledge.
- Slowly training new hires take too long to reach profitability, dragging down margins.
A VP of operations at a national controls firm explained the problem:
“We were investing in training, but it took so long that by the time someone was ready to be productive, we had already lost thousands in unbilled labor and project delays. We needed a better way.”
How Companies Are Training Technicians Faster
Some companies have found a way to dramatically shorten the technician training process. Instead of waiting two years for employees to reach full productivity, they are producing job-chargeable technicians in just weeks.
A large employer in the Southeastern U.S. recently hired a new technician with zero building automation experience. Traditionally, this person would have required two years to become fully independent. Instead, they enrolled him in an accelerated training program, and within:
- 4 weeks, he was performing job-chargeable work.
- 11 weeks, he was running job sites independently.
- 12 months, he was outperforming experienced technicians on staff.
Their operations lead admitted skepticism at first:
“We didn’t believe it was possible. It sounded too good to be true. But now? It’s the only way we develop new people. We have completely abandoned the old model.”
A major OEM has also embraced an accelerated training approach, using it to develop all of their new technicians. By adopting this model, they have:
- Cut training costs by 50 percent.
- Reduced technician ramp-up time from 18 months to under 12 weeks.
- Increased project capacity without adding senior staff.
Their national controls leader summed it up:
“Before, we were stuck. We couldn’t grow because we couldn’t train fast enough. Now, we can scale our workforce as fast as we need to.”
Why Traditional Hiring Approaches Are Failing
Many companies turn to recruiters and hiring agencies in an attempt to solve their workforce shortage. But this often makes the problem worse.
- Recruiters charge $10,000 to $25,000 per placement.
- These new hires often bring bad habits and have difficulty adjusting to a new company.
- Many leave within the first year, forcing companies to start the process over.
One hiring manager at a national systems integration firm put it plainly:
“When you hire from a recruiter, you’re getting the person their last company didn’t want to pay to keep. We spent over $100,000 on recruiting fees last year, and we still have open positions.”
Instead of investing in training and developing talent in-house, companies are overpaying for employees who weren’t valuable enough to keep elsewhere often because their previous employer saw no return on investment.
An HR director at a regional controls contractor added:
“We were stuck in the cycle of hiring, retraining, and rehiring. It was costing us hundreds of thousands of dollars. Since switching to structured training, our turnover rate has dropped, and we’ve saved a fortune.”
How Faster Training Improves Retention
One of the biggest hidden benefits of accelerated technician training is employee retention.
- Employees who feel confident and capable are more likely to stay.
- Faster ramp-up time increases job satisfaction.
- A structured development path keeps employees engaged and invested in their careers.
A senior leader at a company that implemented an accelerated training program shared their results:
“Before, we were losing 30 percent of new hires in the first year. After shifting to structured training, our first-year retention rate jumped to 90 percent. That alone is saving us over $500,000 a year.”
By developing highly skilled technicians in weeks instead of years, companies are reducing burnout, improving morale, and keeping employees engaged. This means less turnover, fewer hiring costs, and a stronger, more stable workforce.
The Smart Buildings Academy Solution
Recognizing the industry-wide need for faster, more effective training, Smart Buildings Academy developed a Workforce Development Program that delivers:
- 80 percent job-chargeable technicians in just four weeks.
- Technicians who can run job sites independently in less than 11 weeks.
- A structured, results-driven model that gets employees profitable fast.
- Higher retention rates and lower reliance on recruiters.
By eliminating the inefficiencies of outdated training methods, this program allows companies to build a skilled workforce faster, increase revenue, and eliminate hiring bottlenecks.
For businesses struggling with technician shortages, there is now a proven solution. Learn how Smart Buildings Academy is solving the workforce crisis at our Workforce Development Program page.
