The Next Era of Security Industry Education: What 2025 Revealed and Why It Matters Now
Author: Brooke Erickson, Senior Director of Learning and Marketing, PSA Network
Two thousand and twenty-five marked a turning point for education in the security industry, shifting learning toward more intentional design and delivery. Across industry conferences, leadership programs, peer exchanges and community-driven learning environments, a consistent theme emerged: education must be relevant, interactive and directly applicable to the realities integrators and leaders face today.
Throughout the year, I engaged deeply with integrators and leaders through facilitated discussions, live audience polling and observation of session engagement at different conferences. Looking across those different experiences, three education trends stood out in 2025. Together, they point toward a broader evolution in how the security industry is approaching learning, development and long-term growth.
Trend 1: From Information Overload to Intentional, Lifecycle Learning
Throughout 2025, a clear pattern took shape. Learning experiences that slowed the pace, narrowed the focus and created space for deeper understanding consistently generated stronger engagement and application. Sessions attempting to cover too many ideas in a single hour often struggled to translate into lasting value, while those centered on a specific challenge or capability enabled richer discussion, reflection and practical application.
As a result, education is increasingly shifting toward layered learning experiences that build depth over time rather than trying to accomplish everything in one moment. This approach allows participants to engage more meaningfully with both content and peers and supports stronger learning transfer beyond the session itself.
Importantly, this evolution does not come at the expense of technical education. Technical training remains foundational, particularly for security technicians who must be technically proficient to perform their work safely and effectively. What is evolving is the recognition that technical knowledge alone does not support long-term success. Technicians increasingly operate at the intersection of technical expertise and customer experience. Project managers, operations leaders and sales teams navigate complex handoffs that require communication, judgment and cross-functional awareness. Education in 2025 began to reflect this complexity, reinforcing a lifecycle approach that supports associates as they grow across technical, business and leadership capabilities over time.
Trend 2: Leadership and Human-Centered Skills Are Gaining Momentum
Another meaningful trend in 2025 was the growing presence and demand for leadership and human-centered skill development within industry education. While technical expertise remains essential, there is increasing recognition that organizational success is also shaped by how associates lead, communicate and adapt as they progress through their careers.
Across learning environments in 2025, education that explored leadership, organizational dynamics and decision making consistently resonated with participants. These sessions stood out not because they offered quick answers, but because they encouraged reflection, dialogue and application. Participants were drawn to learning(s) that strengthened judgment, perspective and critical thinking rather than prescribing rigid solutions.
Excitingly, this interest spanned across all career stages. Associates at different points in their careers were drawn to education that supported growth beyond immediate role requirements and prepared them for what comes next, reinforcing the shift toward learning that develops individuals across the full arc of their careers.
Trend 3: Education Is Continuing to Evolve Toward Long-Term Business Impact
In 2025, the conversation around education continued to evolve toward long-term business impact. Integrators and industry leaders are increasingly focused on how education supports organizational resilience and growth over time.
Sessions that connected learning to organizational alignment, workforce development, financial decision making, sales strategy and operational effectiveness consistently stood out. What made these sessions valuable was not simply just the information shared, but how learning was tied to strengthening the business as a system.
This trend aligns closely with the broader lifecycle perspective emerging across education. As organizations think more intentionally about how associates grow, they are also considering how learning supports the lifecycle of the business itself. Education is increasingly viewed as a lever for developing leaders, improving execution and enabling sustainable growth.
Looking Ahead
Looking to 2026, I expect continued evolution toward more curated content, more interactive formats and stronger integration between technical, business and leadership learning. PSA TEC 2026 is being informed by these insights, shaped by engagement patterns, member feedback and a commitment to education that supports both associate growth and organizational success.
If 2025 reinforced anything, it is that when education is designed with intention and aligned to the full lifecycle of both the associate and the business, it becomes a powerful driver of capability, resilience and long-term impact.