As the entertainment lighting industry continues to evolve at pace, so too do the skills required to work within it. From increasingly complex lighting rigs to networked systems and data-heavy workflows, today’s technicians and programmers need a broader and deeper knowledge base than ever before. Supporting that development has become a core focus of ETC’s global training and outreach efforts.
ETC’s training program has grown significantly in recent years, expanding both in scope and scale. Alongside hands-on console training, ETC now delivers education that spans networking, fixture maintenance, lighting fundamentals, programming techniques, and system design, reflecting the realities of modern production environments.
“The industry has changed so much over the last few years,” says Declan. “When I first started out in the industry – many, many moons ago – things were a lot simpler. The entry-level knowledge that a lighting technician needs these days is vast, and ETC wants to be able to support anyone who is getting started in the industry, or anyone who wants to upskill to stay current with the latest trends and technologies.”
Beyond Console Training
While ETC continues to offer classes in basic console operation, training now goes far beyond learning which button to press. A growing emphasis is being placed on core lighting knowledge – understanding how fixtures work, how color behaves, how systems are built, and how to troubleshoot them effectively.
“Of course, we want people to be familiar with and know how to use our products,” Declan explains, “but it goes much further than that. We all choose to work in the entertainment industry to share knowledge and ideas and collaborate with like-minded people. Having people come together for a training experience is really what it is all about.”
This broader focus is reflected in ETC’s Lighting Essentials training. Covering topics such as fixture types, lighting design principles, color theory, troubleshooting, and programming, Lighting Essentials is designed to support both those new to the
industry and experienced professionals looking to strengthen their foundational skills. The program is already available in the US as part of ETC’s custom training offering, with imminent rollout planned in the UK and further expansion beyond that as demand grows.
“Lighting Essentials has evolved from a simple idea into a truly valuable resource for our learners,” says Sophie Pierronnet, Education & Training Manager. “Patrick Stewart (Senior Outreach and Training Specialist) was instrumental in launching the concept in the US, and his contributions helped shape it into the accessible and practical program it has become. It’s great to see it gaining momentum and starting to reach other regions – a very positive development for our training community.”
When ETC first launched its training program, the focus was largely on consoles, a natural response to the technology of the time.
“Lighting rigs are no longer the (relatively) simple collection of tungsten-based lamps they once were,” says Declan. “By the time it came to programming, these had already been gelled and focused and all that was left was to set levels.”
Declan pauses, sighs dramatically, and pretends to shed a nostalgic tear before continuing."The way our rigs began to change as new technologies became more common meant that our consoles needed to evolve too, and with this, our methods and systems for programming them.
“Modern rigs include complex arrays of LED-based fixtures, moving lights (which, let’s be honest, are nothing more than wiggling buckets of compromise), and a host of other devices all requiring loads of data to be entered, stored and managed for each cue. The mega-packets of sweets once devoured at the tech table have been swiftly replaced by mega-packets of data consumption.
“Consoles that can manage all this data require operators and programmers who know how to use them. But knowing the consoles alone is not enough. Programmers and technicians also need to know about fixtures, networking, maintenance, and a host of other skills to secure work in the industry.”
That reality has driven ETC to continually expand its training offering. In addition to in-person courses delivered across multiple regions, ETC provides a wide range of online learning resources through its website and LearningStage training portal. The popular On Headset series allows users to download real production materials and comms recordings from tech sessions with leading lighting designers such as Ken Billington and Paule Constable, giving programmers the chance to practice programming alongside real-world workflows.
ETC’s commitment to training extends well beyond any single country. Over the past 18 months alone, the company has delivered more than 800 training events worldwide, reaching over 5,000 attendees. These figures don’t include larger-scale events such as CUE and Workshop, held at ETC’s headquarters near Madison, Wisconsin.
“Investing in training and people is an investment in the industry,” Declan says.
That philosophy has helped ETC grow a global network of more than 160 trainers, all of whom are active industry professionals.
“People want to be ETC trainers, and we are looking for new trainers all the time as our training offerings expand. All of ETC’s trainers are practicing professionals. It’s part of what makes it a success. People who attend a training session know that they are being led by someone who is active in the industry and very good at what they do. It’s a chance for them to meet new people and build industry contacts too.”
Training doesn’t stop with end-users. ETC also invests in the development of its trainers, running regular Train-the-Trainer sessions to ensure content remains current, engaging, and relevant. This commitment was underscored by ETC’s first-ever international trainer conference, Trainer-Con 2025, which brought together 60 trainers from around the world to share ideas, learn new skills, and strengthen the global training community.
“Events like this can only make our training better and benefit the industry as a whole,” says Declan.
ETC continues to develop new training content across consoles, systems, and core lighting disciplines.
Lighting Essentials will continue to expand, building on its availability as US custom training and supporting ETC’s wider goal of strengthening foundational knowledge across the industry.
At the same time, ETC is rolling out training for the latest generation of Hog consoles. A new series of Hog training videos is already available, offering an on-demand way to get up to speed.
For more information on in-person courses, online learning resources, or custom training options, visit ETC’s Training pages.
This post continues the conversation from our previous blog: Online Training with ETC.