The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) and Corning Optical Communications LLC, announced yesterday a new collaboration to promote awareness of careers in the fiber optic field and provide access to industry-recognized training through WIA’s Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP). Through this collaboration, Corning will establish a TIRAP-approved pre-apprenticeship program to help individuals gain access to meaningful, well-paying careers in the telecommunications industry. The program will focus on reaching populations that are currently underrepresented in the workforce.
“We are thrilled to work together with Corning to build a more diverse talent pipeline for the broadband industry,” said WIA VP of Apprenticeship Deb Bennett. “Pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships are crucial for recruiting and skilling a diverse workforce capable of meeting the broadband deployment demands of today and tomorrow. We look forward to collaborating with Corning in promoting career awareness in the fiber optic field and connecting more women, people of color, and veterans to TIRAP opportunities at participating employer partners.”
As the national sponsor of TIRAP, WIA is the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DoL) designated industry intermediary tasked with expanding Registered Apprenticeship in the telecommunications industry. Through TIRAP, WIA partners with 84 employers to connect apprenticeship programs’ graduates with career opportunities. WIA also coordinates with partner employers to accredit their training programs, allowing them to offer nationally recognized credentials from the DoL. More than 3,800 people have participated in the program to-date.
“To expand broadband access and connect the unconnected, our industry will need to add thousands of fiber optic technicians and network installers in the next few years. That’s why Corning, the global leader in passive optical networks, is excited to collaborate with WIA and broaden our efforts in building a diverse, robust broadband workforce,” said Corning VP Global Market Development for Carrier Networks Bob Whitman. “We look forward to implementing TIRAP’s best practices in our pre-apprenticeship program and coordinating our efforts to recruit, train, and place diverse candidates in fiber optic technician-training programs.”
For more information, visit Corning’s Fiber Broadband Training Program page.
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