WIA and Corning to Launch Pre-apprenticeship Program for Fiber Optic Careers Development, Helping Build the Broadband Workforce of the Future

The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) and Corning Optical Communications, a subsidiary of Corning Incorporated, announced 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. 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 currently 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.