NATE today released a News Bulletin video designed to promote the Communications Jobs Training Act of 2019 workforce development legislation that has been introduced in the 116th Congress. The video’s debut coincides with the start of the inaugural NATE Member Congressional Fly-In event which is taking place this week in Washington, D.C. in conjunction with Infrastructure Week 2019.
The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Reps. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide funding for job training to enhance communications tower service.
Specifically, the measure would direct the FCC to carry out a grant program. The program would make grants to community colleges, post-secondary vocational and technical schools and any organization that provides career and technical education to veterans to establish or expand job training programs for communications tower service, construction and maintenance. The legislation would authorize $20 million per year for the next three fiscal years.
The informative video includes participant testimonials from an event NATE and Crown Castle hosted with Congressman Loebsack at a communications tower site in LeClaire, Iowa. During the event, Loebsack participated in a tour of the site and received information on the network equipment that is installed on the tower. Loebsack also visited with employers and technicians about the workforce development challenges currently confronting the industry.
“NATE enthusiastically endorses the Communications Jobs Training Act of 2019 bill as a means to develop a future pipeline of workers who are trained to possess the diverse skill-sets necessary to deploy the world-class, next generation networks and infrastructure in the wireless, broadcast, public safety and utility sectors,” said Christy Hall from Texoma Contracting, Inc. in Muskogee, Oklahoma. “Obtaining a funding mechanism to develop these industry-specific programs at the community college, vocational institute and military transition levels would really move the needle from a workforce standpoint. NATE’s nationwide footprint consisting of over 880 member companies can have a major impact at the grassroots level to garner support and we are committed to getting this legislation across the goal line and signed into law,” added Hall, who is a constituent of Congressman Mullin.
Visit here to watch the NATE News Bulletin video. The Association’s Wireless Industry Network (WIN) is encouraging all companies, workers and stakeholders in the industry to contact their respective Members of Congress to urge support for the bill. U.S. Representatives can be located and contacted here and U.S. Senators can be identified and contacted here.
To read the full text of H.R. 1848 – Communications Jobs Training Act of 2019, click here. For more information on NATE, visit www.natehome.com today.
May 14, 2019
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