Corporate Community Spends Their Training Dollars on Secure Transportation

History shows that the corporate community spends most of its training dollars on secure transportation. If you, by chance, review the IRS code, you will find that protective driver training is the only skill that the IRS requires. There is no mention of executive protection training, shooting, or martial arts, just protective driver training. The fact that the IRS singles out protected driver training is called a clue, and in our opinion, those that do not heed that clue are clueless.

A Business Model that Has Worked for Decades

The purpose of collecting this data is to point out that a business model has been in place and used by the corporate and HNW community for decades. This model explains the financial decision-making process to determine their security and training budget.

We point this out because there seems to be an abundance of social media posts that mention that the market does not want to pay for good security.

That may be true in the sub-subcontractor sector of the market. Unfortunately, there are no metrics that supply data and numbers covering that sector of the market. 

Experience Skills and Knowledge

So the next question that needs to be answered is – High net-worth individuals are spending this money on personal security; what are the qualifications to work in this sector? Or what are the Experience, Skills, and Knowledge (ESK) those hired to supply these services must possess? Always remember that the client decides the ESK you need to work for them, not the training providers- or the latest Ep secure transportation guru.

We mentioned this due to some of the comments we see on social media. These comments question the corporations’ hiring practices, saying they don’t know what they are doing regarding Executive Protection and Secure Transportation.

Since our history working in this professional sector goes back to the mid-’70s, we can confidently say that these companies have been hiring EP and secure transportation providers for decades; they know what works and, more importantly, what does not. As with any business, they look for practitioners and service providers with the ESK that meets their requirements.

Security Driving and Executive Protection aren’t Marketing Terms

We must mention the following: Security Driving and Executive Protection are not marketing terms. They are a statement of skill. We are approaching 50 years in the profession, and it is astonishing the number of training providers who dismiss this sector of the profession. History has shown that the path to higher wages is to gain an understanding of the ESK needed by the RHC. RHC is defined as the person’s name in the check’s Right-Hand Corner (RHC). Keep in mind that the RHC is the person that gives you money – training providers are the people that take your money. Listen to the person that gives you money. Ensure that those who take your money are supplying the right ESK that those who will provide you with money are willing to pay for – there are training providers that meet that criteria.

Skills Gap

What are the ESKs this sector of the market is looking for? To answer that question, a few years back, we used Zip Recruiter and Indeed to research the job market; we came up with data indicating a Skills Gap preventing many practitioners from reaching their maximum earning potential. 

A Skills Gap is the difference between what the market wants and what is available for skill. This is a common problem in all industries. We researched the job market to understand better the Skills Gap in the Executive Protection/Secure Transportation profession. Our goal was to data-mine the skills, education, training, and experience most sought after by the Executive Protection Secure Transportation job market. 

The data was acquired by reviewing job offers from 60 companies representing various industries. The data collected represents full-time employment job offers only.

This is an Outline of Our Skills Gap Study Results

For the Experience portion of the ESK

The average experience required was five years. 99.93% of the companies have the necessary experience. The years of experience ranged from no experience needed to 15 years of experience required. The type of experience varied by the position. 

This should be no surprise. Common sense dictates that you need the experience to get work in this sector or, for that matter, any sector of the security profession.

It is unfathomable to think that a Director of Security for a corporation or HNW individual would hire an inexperienced individual.

The type of experience most often required was a combination of LEO and Military or combinations of both. They represented close to 50% of the type of experience needed.

College Educated

The most sought-after education was a college degree – 40.7%. This was the most sought-after requirement other than experience. This should not be a surprise. All higher-level positions require a college education. We strongly suggest that those using their GI Bill for education consider a college degree. What we found interesting was that most job descriptions did not specify what type of degree. 

You or Your Company are a Business

We end by reminding our audience of an undeniable fact many overlook. You or your company are a business.

Whether you are relatively new or have been in the profession for some time; whether you are a sole practitioner looking for the next job; a security provider looking for the next customer or client; or a trainer looking for the next student – you or your company are a business.

Additional Resources

For those with an interest in Security Driving, Secure Transportation, or Executive Protection, the International Security Driver Association (ISDA) offers several resources worth considering.

One option is to sign up for the ISDA’s LinkedIn Newsletter, “Security Driver Journal,” a twice-monthly educational email publication that contains articles written specifically for the Security Driver/Secure Transportation community. This resource provides continuing education and benchmark research to help improve your skillset and advance your business.

Another resource is the ISDA’s YouTube channel, which features playlists containing videos covering topics such as Case Studies of Vehicle Attacks, Security Driving, Armored Vehicles, and the Business of Security.

Those interested in connecting with other professionals in the industry can also follow the ISDA’s LinkedIn page, which provides educational content on various topics related to Security Driving and Secure Transportation, including Armored Vehicles, Secure Transportation Business Metrics and Data, Surveillance Detection, The Change in Executive Vehicles, and Case Studies, Including Lessons Learned.

Lastly, visitors can check out the ISDA Store for hats, t-shirts, decals, and other merchandise related to the organization and secure transportation.