Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) – Courses & Certifications – Year-Round

The Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) is an industry-wide program that has brought together an unprecedented group of industry organizations, businesses and individuals to create a program of rigorous assessments for professional technicians. ETCP focuses on disciplines that directly affect the health and safety of crews, performers, and audiences. You may become certified through ETCP in the following areas: Rigger – Arena, Rigger – Theatre, Entertainment Electrician and Portable Power Distribution Technician.

ESTA runs ETCP, and the following organizations maintain seats on the ETCP Council: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology (CITT), InfoComm International, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), The League of American Theatres and Producers, Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), and United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT).

The ETCP Certification Council membership also includes the following entertainment business leaders: Cirque du Soleil, Disney Theatrical Productions, Live Nation, NBC Universal, PRG, and PSAV.

Personnel certification is the voluntary process by which a nongovernmental organization grants recognition to an individual who has demonstrated mastery in a discipline. ETCP is responsible for:

• Creating exams based on identified bodies of knowledge
• Conducting said exams
• Awarding certifications
• Managing certification renewal

ETCP is a program of ESTA. The following organizations maintain seats on the ETCP Council:

• Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)
• Canadian Institute for Theatre Technologe (CITT)
• InfoComm International
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)
• International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM)
• The League of American Theatres and Producers
• Themed Entertainment Association (TEA)
• United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT)

ETCP Certification Council membership also includes the following entertainment business leaders:

• Cirque du Soleil
• Disney Theatrical Productions
• Live Nation
• NBC Universal
• PRG
• PSAV
• Walt Disney Park and Resorts

Become an ETCP Certified Technician and join the ranks of the elite.

ETCP offer the following courses and certification in the following areas:

1. Entertainment Electrician
2. Portable Power Distribution Technician
3. Rigger – Arena
4. Rigger – Theatre

Get Certified: Entertainment Electrician

All experienced electricians are invited to take ETCP’s entertainment electrician certification exam. The intent of the electrical examination is to evaluate and validate the competency of the upper third of electricians working in the entertainment industry. These positions typically involve liability issues, the health and safety of workers and audiences, and compliance with the electrical and other laws of the local area, including laws requiring performance by Qualified Personnel. Those who pass this rigorous test will become ETCP Certified Entertainment Electricians and will be recognized as the industry’s best.

This examination covers many areas of the entertainment industry including, but not limited to: theatres, film/ TV studios and on location, arenas/stadiums/sporting events, carnivals/fairs/festivals, circuses, cruise ships, industrial/corporate events, religious events/houses of worship, theme parks, touring concerts/theatre, and other places of public assembly throughout the United States and Canada.

Get Certified: Portable Power Distribution Technician

All experienced power distribution technicians 21 years of age and above are invited to take ETCP’s PPDT exam. The intent of this examination is to evaluate and validate the knowledge and skill base of the upper two-thirds of Portable Power Distribution Technicians working in the entertainment industry. These positions typically involve the health and safety of technicians, performers and audiences, and require compliance with OSHA and other laws. Those who pass this rigorous test will become ETCP Certified Portable Power Distribution Technicians.

This certification meets a need within the entertainment industry to define the required knowledge and skillsets surrounding the assembly, use, and disassembly of portable power systems. This certification will provide documentation of knowledge and assist the employer in determining a worker’s status as a qualified portable power technician.

The ETCP PPDT Certification is focused on a large population of industry workers in the roles of lighting technicians, stagehands, portable power set/strike technicians, as well as facility maintenance personnel for a wide variety of venues. This certification targets the top two-thirds of people working with this technology at various types of facilities in the corporate, trade show, outdoor event, theatrical, and motion picture/television segments of the entertainment industry.

Get Certified: Rigger – Arena / Theater

All experienced riggers 21 years of age and above are invited to take ETCP’s rigging certification exams. The intent of the rigging examinations is to evaluate and validate the knowledge and skill base of the upper third of riggers working in the entertainment industry. These positions typically involve the health and safety of technicians, performers and audiences, and require compliance with OSHA and other laws. Those who pass this rigorous test will become ETCP Certified Riggers and will be recognized by other professionals as the industry’s best.

There are two ETCP rigging credentials, each with its own exam:

• ETCP Certified Rigger – Arena
• ETCP Certified Rigger – Theatre

An applicant may seek certification in either or both of these divisions. Each division has its own separate examination covering the specific knowledge, skills and abilities needed.

The Arena certification encompasses rigging that employs chain hoists and truss systems to temporarily suspend objects from overhead structures in any environment. ETCP recognizes that these methods and hardware are used throughout the entertainment industry in arenas, convention and trade show spaces and in theatrical venues. However the principles, practices, and components are consistent and similar in all applications and are different from those used in traditional theatrical spaces.

The Theatre certification encompasses rigging that employs the use of counterweighted systems, mechanical systems and hydraulic systems, usually, but not always, permanently installed in facilities for the use of theatre technicians in the execution of their rigging responsibilities.

You do not have to live in the USA to get access to these courses. ETCP provide ways for people around the world to gain this accreditation online and by providing exam centers in various locations, but you do have to pass the eligibility requirements and provide the relevant documentation to prove your readiness to undergo the course.

ETCP Mission Statement

We endeavor to develop a Personnel Certification Program to the highest standards that recognizes individuals who have demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities in specific entertainment technology disciplines. By providing a thorough, independent assessment of aptitude, ETCP strives to enhance safety, improve performance, stimulate training, reduce workplace risk, and give due recognition to the professional skills of entertainment technicians.

For More Information: Click Here