One of Jamaica’s leading electronic security and guard service providers, Hawkeye, says it spends $20 million on training its staff each year, and according to Sharon Laing, general manager, Group HR and Operations, it’s money well spent.
The company, she said, has the largest number of certified Physical Security Professionals® among its ranks, with four executives currently holding the ASIS International Physical Security Professional® and Professional Certified Investigator® qualifications, and another four awaiting results.
"At Hawkeye, in order to ensure that we always deliver the best value to our clients as their risk management and loss-prevention service provider, we believe that we must have the most qualified and competent team in place," Laing told the Jamaica Observer.
"We invest more than $20 million per annum in training and development to ensure that team members at all levels are equipped and prepared to provide more than just guarding services for all our clients," she continued.
The ASIS certifications mean that the Hawkeye staff now have the "demonstrable knowledge and experience in threat assessment and risk analysis; integrated physical security systems and the appropriate identification; implementation and ongoing evaluation of security measures."
But professional designations are only part of the training matrix for the 1,800-strong workforce. As Laing pointed out, the raft of training programmes conducted at Hawkeye include everything from technical knowledge about the innovative security solutions the company offers, customer service, CPR, self-defence, supervisory skills and firearm training, to industry-specific training to prepare team members for assignments in the hospitality, retail, finance, manufacturing, aviation, cargo and business process outsourcing sectors to name a few.