The Department of Labor has awarded Virginia State University a $3.25 million grant to help develop a training program for the wireless workforce, which will focus on educating veterans, displaced workers, and others for careers working with wireless networks. PCIA has commended the DoL on this career training initiative and worked with VSU to develop and submit the grant application. As part of the award, the DoL approved $750,000 which is specified in the application for PCIA to help create nationally recognized competencies and credentials in the field of wireless infrastructure deployment. “The American educational system has not kept pace with the fast growth of the wireless industry. This grant is part of our effort to jumpstart the academic community, with VSU in the lead, to develop training programs and curricula that will produce graduates that have the precise preparation we need to meet our burgeoning workforce needs. This will give veterans and displaced workers opportunities to be trained, certified, and employed in wireless infrastructure,” said PCIA President & Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adelstein. “Right now, there are thousands of high-skilled, high-wage American jobs that are hard for our members to fill because workers haven’t received proper training. PCIA will help professionalize the wireless workforce with direct input from the industry to target our needs with a state-of-the-art program. We need to develop a workforce that can safely and properly install and maintain wireless networks that can meet the growing demands of consumers, businesses, schools, health care, governments, public safety agencies, and countless others to enjoy the life-changing benefits of wireless broadband,” Adelstein said.
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