Labor

As states begin to receive their allocations from the $42 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment or BEAD program, Florida is leading the way in preparing the workforce needed for new high-speed internet networks. State officials were quick to convene industry stakeholders as part of their broadband planning process last year, and the state’s BEAD proposal has an unusually detailed section on workforce readiness.

In 2021 Vice President Kamala Harris (D-CA) agreed to lead the administration’s $42 billion plan for expanding high-speed internet to millions of Americans. That year, she tweeted that “we can bring broadband to rural America today.” Today, nearly three years after Congress passed the infrastructure bill that created the program, not one home or business has been connected through it.

State officials have been working hard to suss out what kinds of skills ISPs need and how best to attract and train up new workers, said Edyn Rolls, Chief Strategic Officer for the Oklahoma Broadband Office. For instance, Oklahoma State University conducted a nationwide study to identify what areas of the broadband workforce need the biggest boost, she said. GIS mapping and engineering skills would be most in demand, the study found.

Procurement, permitting and people. Those are the three Ps to remember if you want to ensure a smooth broadband build. Steven Greene, Technical Program Manager at the Utah Broadband Center, said broadband builders often assume they can readily get the supplies they need for their projects. But without a solid procurement plan in place, shortages can quickly become problematic. That’s especially true of upcoming Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) projects.

The United States needs way more workers to support the upcoming flurry of federal-funded broadband projects. But the broadband industry’s also got catching up to do with its labor standards. In fact, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is the first federal broadband grant program with “any type of language” concerning labor practice requirements, according to Marcus Chambers, network telecom technician for CWA and state broadband lead for Maryland.

Long-time observers of AT&T and Verizon may be wondering how low they can go on headcount. In mid-September, Verizon made the telecom news with a securities filing that warned around 4,800 jobs would be cut by March next year at a severance cost of about $1.8 billion. Without any hiring to offset those cuts, this would leave it with fewer than 100,000 employees for the first time this millennium.

Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is proud to announce the start of a new Fiber Optic Apprenticeship Program in Vermont. The program puts participants to work right away, allowing them to learn on the job and earn a paycheck from the start. The Fiber Optic Apprenticeship Program is part of the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), a Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program. VCBB is partnering with Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), TIRAP’s national sponsor, to bring the program to Vermont.

Skills advocates and digital inclusion advocates frequently ask National Skills Coalition for examples of how their peers are collecting, analyzing, and using data for advocacy. We’re happy to highlight several reports that use data about digital skills in creative ways. 

This study investigates the relationship between online learning activities for educational, professional, or personal purposes and employment likelihood using the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Usage Survey conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TSI) between 2015 and 2023. Utilizing a nationally representative survey, we analyze (1) online course enrollment and (2) online learning engagement (self-learning and communication-based learning activities) and their relationship with being employed.

This annual report on the U.S. Microbusiness Activity Index (MAI) provides an update on microbusinesses, incorporating data up to March 2024. It covers the national, states, metropolitan areas, and counties. Highlights include: