On talent and apprenticeship

• Features

• 02/03/2026

Talent and its development have been hot-button topics in the AV industry for decades. The fact that we are still talking about them raises two points. First, the challenges are systemic which is why they still persist. Second, the AV industry has not always tackled them with the sustained discipline required for them to be permanently overcome.

Across Asia Pacific, however, the tone is shifting. As the AV sector matures and integration work becomes more complex, spanning meeting rooms, campuses, venues, control environments and hybrid workplaces, leading businesses are done waiting for talent shortages to resolve themselves. Instead, they’re rolling up their sleeves and building capability from within.

Cameron Douglas, CEO of Videopro, believes the talent challenge is inseparable from how much of the AV industry still operates. He shares: “Professional AV businesses, because they are primarily project-based, have a unique demand for talent. Even as the industry evolves, and everyone is chasing the holy grail of managed services, our demand for project talent will remain unique. Managed services, after all, feed off project services.”

Douglas points to an issue most integrators recognise: project-driven revenue models can create a cyclical operating rhythm. He elaborates: “The challenge in the Australian AV industry — and I imagine it’s the same globally — is that focusing on projects means companies often run feast or famine. When times are good, poaching becomes the most common way to staff up. When the pipeline dries up, the flip side is layoffs.”

It is a cycle that keeps repeating, and it has consequences beyond resourcing. It drives wage inflation, reduces stability, and keeps organisations dependent on the market rather than building sustainable internal capability. With demand for talent linked directly to project workload, scaling talent up or down becomes an immediate operational problem to solve. Poaching is the fastest fix, but it’s not a strategy. The strategic question is whether AV businesses can build a pipeline strong enough to outlast short-term fluctuations.

Douglas argues the ideal methodology is straightforward in concept: train talent, nurture it, and create a career path that’s compelling enough to retain it. He says: “At Videopro, we have 10 to 11 apprentices enrolled at the moment. The apprenticeship program has been running for about four years, and it has really helped us build our technical and installation teams.”

Apprenticeship programs are not revolutionary. Learning the AV trade on the job has always been part of the industry.

What Videopro believes sets its program apart is the intentionality behind the design of how apprentices are recruited, trained, supported, and developed into fully qualified technicians.

Douglas explains: “Our apprentices are young – in many cases we hire talent straight out of school. There isn’t an established academic path for them to pursue into AV, so the apprenticeship is designed to train them and progress them in their careers.”

The program combines real project exposure with formal foundations. Douglas says: “We put them through TAFE programs, and there are manufacturer certifications they can obtain. It’s a multi-year process to go from apprentice to junior and then they are on a path to becoming a senior team member.”

Douglas is pragmatic about formalised education pathways. In his view, formal training is not the answer on its own for AV’s talent troubles, but it plays an important role in building core capability and confidence.

He says: “TAFE teaches individuals core skills such as cabling and electrical work that provide the basis for learning the ropes of the AV trade. But the bigger benefit of formalised training is that an individual is taught how to learn. Learning how to learn is an essential skill and the biggest advantage of having formal education.”

That framing matters because AV is now a convergence industry. Talent must absorb new platforms, evolving standards, complex networked environments, and multiple manufacturer ecosystems faster than ever. Adaptability becomes a career advantage when talent must grow and be flexible to work in an evolving technology landscape.

Douglas also believes scale is part of what makes the program work. Rather than isolating apprentices, Videopro deliberately builds a cohort. He says: “The scale of our apprenticeship is wider than most. We have 10 or 11 apprentices, and what has really worked is having a cohort of young talent in the business learning, working, and growing together.”

That cohort builds more than skill, it builds belonging. He adds: “This allows them to build connections with peers, camaraderie, friendships. That matters if you want to forge a career.”

Lea McGinniss, Videopro’s chief of staff, sees this as an overlooked lever in retention and attraction. McGinniss says: “Early-career talent is looking for a pathway and a team. They want to see progression, purpose, and support, not just a job description. Building a cohort helps people stay in the game long enough to become great.”

Videopro is also leaning into a modern reality: younger generations increasingly want values alignment, especially on sustainability. Yas Grigaliunas, Videopro’s chief experience officer and an Australian ambassador for Sustainability in AV (SAVe), says sustainability belongs inside the talent conversation, not alongside it: “Sustainability in AV isn’t a ‘nice to have’— it’s becoming part of professional standards. It’s about smarter system design, extending asset life, reducing waste, and making responsible decisions across the AV lifecycle.”

Douglas agrees that it’s not just about attracting people, it’s about building better technicians. He says: “When apprentices understand why sustainability matters, they make better decisions. They think about lifecycle, not just installation. That’s good for clients, and it’s good for the industry.”

Ultimately, Douglas believes the industry needs to get better at selling AV as a credible, long-term career, especially for technical roles that underpin every project outcome. He says: “Our retention is actually pretty good. We offer the opportunity for a career at Videopro with development, growth, and fulfilment through the apprenticeship program and beyond.”

He also emphasises the personal reward for leaders and senior technicians who invest in the process. Douglas concludes: “It’s hugely rewarding to see our apprentices turn into fully qualified AV technicians. We as an industry have to get better at selling a career in AV and proving we can nurture talent has to be the basis of that pitch."