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In a historic effort to blanket Vermont with fiber-to-the-home networks, the Green Mountain State has been banking on a community broadband-driven approach to connect the unconnected through its ten Communications Union Districts (CUDs).
Now, state leaders are adding another community-rooted program to its toolbox that promises to help fill the ranks of the very workforce building the networks.
Earlier this week, the Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) announced the launch of a new Fiber Optic Apprenticeship Program officials say will put “participants to work right away, allowing them to learn on the job and earn a paycheck from the start.”
The workforce development initiative will be a part of the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), a “competency-based apprenticeship” sponsored by the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA). And in addition to earning a paycheck, apprentices who complete the program will also earn a national credential recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor.
VCBB Executive Director Christine Hallquist characterized the apprenticeship program as “a huge opportunity for Vermonters to get into a new career without any cost to them that will provide a paycheck from day one and many options for career advancement.”
An added benefit, Hallquist said, is what the program will mean for regional telecom companies eager to get ahead of looming labor force shortages:
“It provides a huge opportunity to Vermont employers to attract new talent to get the workers needed to complete the broadband buildout in Vermont and compete for the millions of dollars of federal money ($229 million) that’s coming to the state as part of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.”
Already, the program has attracted its first employer to participate – Sertex Broadband Solutions, a Connecticut-based fiber builder known for its many fiber network builds across New England.
“Sertex is committed to building a highly skilled workforce with local employees who live in the communities we serve,” Sertex CEO Michael Solitro said. “We are excited to participate with VCBB in this groundbreaking apprenticeship program and continue our work in Vermont, helping CUDs throughout the state reach their goals.”
Sertex is looking to fill a number of positions across several states in which they operate. According to the company’s website, Sertex has two open positions for apprentices as well as four other spots for more experienced technicians, lineman, and installers.
The two apprentice positions (Telecom Lineman Apprentice and Telecom Technician Apprentice) are both full time jobs that pay between $23 and $25/hour and offer full health and 401K benefits. The other job openings Sertex is looking to fill pay up to $40/hour depending on experience.
VCBB officials are hopeful more employers will participate and are actively seeking interested employers to reach out to the state’s broadband office via email at [email protected].
A Second Regional Apprenticeship Program
In addition to the Fiber Optic Apprenticeship Program, the North Country Career Center (NCCC) – a regional technical training center in the northeast part of the state – announced the launch of a pre-apprenticeship program that will work in tandem with the VCBB initiative.
During a ‘Capital for a Day’ county tour in Orleans County last week with representatives from the Governor’s office, state and local leaders celebrated the kick-off of both apprenticeship programs, each of which are TIRAP certified.
The state’s Department of Labor Deputy Commissioner Dustin Degree said that both the pre-apprenticeship program and VCCB program “exemplifies Vermont’s commitment to building a skilled, future-ready workforce.”
“By aligning our educational resources with high-demand industries like broadband, we are creating valuable opportunities for Vermonters to gain the expertise needed for meaningful careers," Degree said. "The success of this program will not only benefit Orleans County but strengthen Vermont’s economy as a whole.”
Serving students at Lake Region Union High School (LRUHS), North Country Union High School (NCUH), as well as private school and home-schooled students in the region, the North Country Career Center program will allow students to enroll in one of four TIRAP occupations: Fiber Optic Technicians, Underground Utility Installers, Overhead Utility Installers, and Broadband Technicians.
NCCC Assistant Director for Adult Education Christian Damato said the new program “is really exciting” because it will “provide our friends and neighbors the opportunity to learn the skills required to have a good paying career right in the Northeast Kingdom.”
“Training programs, apprenticeships in particular, work because the industry sends employees to get the training. When employers invest in their employees' education they both benefit tremendously.”
Patrick Halley, President and CEO of WIA – the national sponsor of TIRAP – touted both the NCCC and VCCB programs.
“Apprenticeship is a proven model for developing a skilled workforce and Vermont is leading the way. NCCC’s pre-apprenticeship graduates will come to employers with a significant amount of training complete, offering an advantage for the graduates and cost savings to the employer,” he said, describing the initiatives as a way to “buildout a broadband career pipeline for Vermonters.”
Racing to Fill an ‘Urgent Need’
Fueled by unprecedented investments to expand broadband access across the nation, the industry as a whole is looking to address workforce shortages. According to a recent study commissioned by the Fiber Broadband Association and the Power & Communication Contractors Association, there is an “urgent need to recruit and train nearly 180,000 workers to complete federal and state-funded broadband networks.”
The study, conducted by the independent consulting firm Continuum Capital, says the demand for new network construction “will exceed the engineering, permitting, locating, and construction workforce capacity to absorb it.” Unless tens of thousands of new broadband construction workers and technicians enter the workforce, it will lead to “bottlenecks,” delayed deployment schedules, and possibly risk some projects losing federal funding tied to spending deadlines.
To avoid that scenario, the study predicts, the nation will need 28,000 more broadband construction workers and 30,000 more technicians to meet the labor needs of planned network construction.
Additionally, the study says, another 119,000 construction and technician workers will be needed over the next 10 years to compensate for retirement and workforce attrition.
While organizations like the Fiber Broadband Association are working with numerous states in offering its own Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program, Vermont is now joining the national effort to beef up the broadband workforce with a program more tailored to Vermont’s community broadband approach.
Employers or job seekers interested in participating in the VCBB program are encouraged to email the [email protected] for more information.
Header image of Lisa Tellstone of the Institute for American Apprenticeships (IAA) shaking hands with North Country Career Center representative welcoming NCCC as a registered TIRAP
Inline images courtesy of VCBB