The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has announced publication of its new Workforce Development Guidebook. The resource is designed to help U.S. state broadband offices (SBOs), state and local workforce/economic development boards, and similar agencies develop workforce development strategies for the NTIA’s $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
Public funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and BEAD program will help spur significant broadband infrastructure deployments – if the necessary technicians and other workers can be found. The FBA notes that the U.S. government estimates that BEAD alone will create 150,000 telecom jobs; the association estimates that operators and others will need to fill more than 205,000 new job slots in the next five years to deploy, operate, and maintain new broadband networks country-wide.
The FBA says its Workforce Development Guidebook focuses on the training and "upskilling" activities described in the workforce planning requirements NTIA included in its recent Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The publication provides context on the telecommunications landscape and covers broadband workforce development, including guidance on how to craft and deploy an effective workforce development strategy.
“The importance of BEAD and complexity of issues facing the broadband industry cannot be left to chance. Our Workforce Development Guide provides a formula that state broadband offices can follow to guarantee their Five-Year Action Plans address workforce development alongside planned miles and materials so they can successfully administer BEAD deployment programs,” said Deborah Kish, vice president of research and workforce development at the FBA. “Due to the scale and complexity of BEAD, even states with experience deploying broadband programs will encounter new challenges in planning for BEAD. This guidebook will enable them to build a comprehensive approach with a state workforce development strategy that invests in skills and training and ensures success for individuals and for service providers.”
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