As a passenger, your travel experience at airport security checkpoints may highly vary. And why is that?
According to STI Security Training International, it depends largely on the type of X-ray machines in use, as well as the training quality of the airport screening technology.
Shall I take my shoes and my belt off? Should my laptop, tablet and mobile phones be put separately on a tray? What about liquids? Will my handbag and laptop bag be checked a second time?
To facilitate threat detection and fluidify passenger flow, X-ray machine technology has rapidly evolved from 1D to 2D, and now 3D CT (computed tomography).
Being able to adapt to these technology changes while maintaining a top threat recognition level requires state-of-the-art and adaptative X-ray image interpretation training, the company added.
Behind the scenes: What comprises thorough training?
STI Security Training International (STI), a German company, has been providing security trainings, worldwide, since 2001.
The company reported that during this time, more than 165,000 graduates have successfully carried out classroom and online training courses.
We know what is happening on the ground, how the job needs to be done and how to challenge our resources.
The company highlighted it’s motto: “From practice to practice. With 100% in-house expertise, supported by our own certified trainers, own dedicated airport screeners and cargo stations and own developed training software.”
Insider’s insights:
According to STI Security Training International, the insider’s insights included:
1. Compliance
Security trainings shall be compliant to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation), EU (European Union) and German Authorities´ regulations, as STI is a German company.
This compulsory legal framework comprises security standards and policies set by international and national Conventions, Acts and Regulations.
2. Next compulsory step
Check that all participants/trainees are cleared by a (police) background check, a specific control/investigation for people working in civil aviation.
3. Operator training completed
All trainees shall understand how the X-ray machine on which they work functions.
4. Fit to learn
Ensure a proper didactic approach and constructive interactions
Keep it simple: STI training solution for beginners, OTS basics, is based on the STEP method, an educational guide that says: “From easy to difficult – from uncomplicated to challenging“.
Thus, the practical exercises developed and built on each other by STI begin with informative content, followed by exercises with recognition sequences. Because if the basics are not well understood, further knowledge will not be successful.
Threats: Once the basic foundations are understood and familiarised, difficulties increase with learning to properly detect prohibited items. Training includes knowing what the dangerous “real stuff” looks like, and allows trainees to better recognise/find/identify and apprehend it.
REX: Parallel to that, experience tips and real-case scenarii are shared considering the multiple factors/facets of the job, while working in a disruptive environment.
Practice is key.
Training has greater importance in X-ray image evaluation.
Alerting and cooperation with the police forces and bomb disposal experts are as equally involved as deescalating the handling of conspicuous passengers.
5. Continuous learning
Once a professional screener, recurrent training is compulsory. In Germany and in Europe, a professional security screener shall train six hours every six month.
This happens generally online.
Flexibility, everywhere, whenever: In comparison to classroom training, online training has the advantage that it can be carried out anywhere and anytime.
In addition, the user can determine their own pace of learning and adapt the learning process to his individual possibilities, which has a positive effect on the learning success.
What about AI and its impact on security trainings?
Training evolves with AI as a supportive tool to human eyes.
Thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, STI officially approved training tool OTS Xpert includes individual adaptiveness: With the help of complex algorithms and based on the individual recognition performance of trainees, their training is continuously adapted – identifying specific weaknesses and tailor-made learning makes OTS Xpert an effective training system.
What is to avoid: A screener who relies exclusively on AI, with holes in the database and does not analyse anymore the X-ray image with the necessary methodic behind.
Conclusion
STI Security highlighted that security is paramount and security training requests are activated not only in aviation, but also in industrial and civil areas, from banks and embassies to stadiums and hotels.
Security training is then customised according to the clients´ specific security requirements and environment.