ARLINGTON, Va. – The
Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) announced that the U.S. Department of
Labor awarded it a $6 million grant to expand apprenticeship in the telecommunications
industry. The grant program, Apprenticeship: Closing the Skills Gap, is designed
to support large-scale expansions of apprenticeship. In partnership
with the Power & Communication Contractors Association (PCCA), the grant will
be used to train a 5G workforce, an integral part of winning the global race to
5G. Five institutions of higher education have already committed as technical
partner schools. The nearly $6 million grant is supplemented by over $9 million
in matching support from industry, including cash and in-kind contributions
from WIA, PCCA, Ditch Witch, FS3, and participating employers, for a total
commitment to apprenticeship of $15 million in a public-private partnership.
The grant will
provide the necessary funding to design curricula and deliver training to
develop qualified applicants for placement in middle- to high-skilled jobs
nationwide that will accelerate 5G deployment for America’s 5G Apprenticeship
Initiative. The program will be led by WIA and delivered through the
Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship (TIRAP) program, of which
WIA is the national sponsor. TIRAP is a public-private partnership with the Department
of Labor (DOL) that is the first and only multi-employer apprenticeship effort
focused on developing the 5G workforce.
America’s 5G
Apprenticeship Initiative will engage a consortium of public and private
partners with 33 small and mid-sized employers committing to create over 5,500
new apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships in this rapidly evolving sector.
These industry-driven, competency-based apprenticeships will target veterans;
transitioning service members; military spouses; women; people of color; unemployed,
underemployed, and incumbent workers; and other underrepresented populations.
Five
committed technical partner schools include: State Technical College of Missouri,
Terra State Community College (Ohio), Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, Monroe
County Community College (Mich.), and Somerset Community College (Ky.).
WIA President and
CEO Jonathan Adelstein: “WIA is thrilled to win this grant to provide a foundation
for 5G skills training through apprenticeship. It will help equip America’s future
workforce with the skills needed to build next-generation wireless networks to
lead the global race to 5G. Apprenticeship allows Americans to earn while they
learn, and once they complete training, they will have access to good-paying
jobs with a defined career path. We can’t let the road to 5G be blocked by the
lack of a trained workforce. We thank PCCA for their partnership and leadership
in establishing programs at schools. Winning the race to 5G is a national
imperative, and we thank the Department of Labor and Secretary Scalia for recognizing
that a properly trained workforce will help America win this race.”
PCCA Chief Executive
Officer Tim Wagner: “Thank you to the U.S. Department
of Labor for recognizing a great need and taking decisive action. This grant
will greatly accelerate the good work that PCCA’s Education Committee and Education
& Research Foundation have undertaken to tackle the broadband industry’s critical
workforce shortage. PCCA and its foundation are now poised to help train the
workforce necessary to realize the promise of the nation’s 5G network. All of
PCCA thanks Sellenriek Construction for having the vision to involve State
Technical College of Missouri in their workforce solution and Mark Bridgers for
conceiving the idea of a standardized curriculum and for moving the ball
forward with the PCCA-affiliated schools. And I would like to thank Jonathan Adelstein,
Grant Seiffert, and the WIA staff for their diligence and expertise at navigating
the federal grant domain.”
Federal
Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr: “I’m thrilled that DOL has
recognized the critical role of tower techs, linemen, and other 5G workers in
building our country’s information infrastructure and has provided new
resources to expand that workforce. The training offered at technical schools
and through apprenticeships gives students a path up towers and into the middle
class with only a couple of months in the classroom. These careers support
families and our nation’s critical infrastructure. Congratulations to WIA for
being selected for the grant and its leadership in 5G workforce training.”
DOL
Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia in a press release, “These
grants will further the Administration’s efforts to expand apprenticeships. For
Americans who want an alternative to the traditional bachelor’s degree,
apprenticeships are a way to learn valuable skills that lead to good paying
careers. Companies across the country tell me that their greatest challenge
today is finding the skilled workers they need. This funding will bolster
America’s competitiveness by adding more skilled workers to fill millions of
open jobs today and in the future.”
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February 19, 2020
Contact:
Amy-Gabrielle Bartolac | Public Affairs Manager, WIA
Amy-Gabrielle.Bartolac@wia.org | 703-621-0527
Tim Wagner | Executive Vice President, PCCA
twagner@pccaweb.org | (703) 212-7736
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