The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) celebrated the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) and its Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) as it signed an agreement with its 100th employer partner.
FBA and other telecommunications companies and industry organizations work together with WIA to develop apprenticeship programs that are accredited by the U.S. Department of Labor, including training for a broad range of career paths, including wireless, tower, fiber, utility, and small cell technicians. When employers partner with TIRAP, they access a continuous pipeline of newly trained talent and can leverage the program to advance existing employees. Employers also receive incentives for each apprentice they register with the program.
TIRAP is one of the many ways that FBA is addressing workforce development throughout the telecom industry. FBA’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program trains fiber technicians with the skills needed to safely and efficiently build high-quality fiber broadband networks and Fiber-to-the-Home installations. FBA is currently engaged with 40 states to roll out the OpTIC Path program, with 44 service providers and 70 community colleges and training institutions. Electric cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee, and Oklahoma have either adopted or are interested in the program.
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