The funds are in place from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to help connect 25 million people with high-speed internet access. Yet, the labor to make BEAD happen must be readily available, too, the National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA) cautioned this week.
NTIA’s message was delivered by Senior Policy Adviser Will Arbuckle. NTIA estimates that tens of thousands of broadband construction workers will be needed to build the planned networks for BEAD, both on time and at scale. The positions that will be needed include network designers, pole surveyors, locators, drill operators, general laborers, fiber splicers, and others.
Because it could take nine to 12 months to prepare individuals for these jobs, NTIA encourages the states and U.S. territories that have been granted BEAD funding to begin arranging partnerships and setting up training programs now.
In their BEAD Initial Proposals, states and territories were required to include a workforce readiness plan. Based on those plans, more than one-fourth indicated they would allocate at least $300 million in BEAD funding to support such workforce development.
NTIA offers a set of steps that state broadband offices (SBOs) can use, “especially those with remaining BEAD funds after deployment obligations are met,” Arbuckle said.
The five recommended steps are:
1. Establish open lines of communication with key workforce partners.
Stakeholders include employers, state agencies, and workforce solution providers such as training academies operated by construction firms, two-year and four-year colleges, nonprofit groups, and labor organizations, which all should be engaged. Each of these workforce partners have different objectives and goals and may have additional services for learners.
2. Assess state and local broadband workforce needs.
Identifying a state’s specific workforce needs — such as gaps in certain types of jobs, challenges in recruitment and retention, and wage disparities with neighboring industries — is a critical step that every SBO must take if they haven’t done so already. SBOs should consult with broadband service providers, as well as construction firms and pole owners/municipalities, to gain insights into factors such as the types of jobs that will be needed and the skills required to do them.
3. Consider a sectoral partnership approach to convene partners.
A sectoral partnership has employers collaborating with state agencies and workforce solution providers to develop programs that train and place workers based on employers’ needs. A workforce intermediary can help establish a sectoral partnership by acting as a neutral broker. Examples include nonprofits or social impact consulting firms dedicated to worker training and placement.
4. Identify complementary workforce funding to support BEAD workforce initiatives.
BEAD workforce funding is intended to complement — not replace — state, local or private investments in workforce initiatives. NTIA encourages states to take advantage of other funding sources, whether or not they are using BEAD funds for workforce development. Sources may include the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), National Science Foundation (NSF) grants, union resources, state programs, philanthropic contributions, and employer investment funds.
5. Develop solutions and deploy workforce funding.
Workforce solutions developed with employers can include paid apprenticeships, industry-aligned curricula, integrated training, and support services such as childcare to improve accessibility. Effective programs often secure hiring commitments for trainees.
The BEAD Program offers a historic chance to expand broadband access, requiring collaboration across governments, the telecom and construction industries, and other stakeholders. Arbuckle said NTIA’s blog will continue to spotlight strategies to build the needed workforce to make BEAD successful.
In an interview with Telecompetitor in September, the Fiber Broadband Association’s Deborah Kish emphasized that to meet the upcoming needs of the broadband workforce, training future workers should begin now, not after build-outs have already begun.
The broadband-centered apprenticeship program that CTC created with the Communications Workers of America is the kind of sectoral partnership NTIA described in step 3 above as an important tool in preparing for BEAD funding.
