Urgent Need to Recruit and Train Nearly 180,000 Workers to Complete Federal- and State-Funded Broadband Networks
29 Julio 2024 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
New Study from Fiber Broadband Association and
Power & Communication Contractors Association predicts
workforce shortages in broadband network construction
Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association
(FBA) and the Power & Communication Contractors Association
(PCCA) announced the results of their “Broadband Market Workforce
Needs” study. Continuum Capital, an independent consulting firm,
completed the nationwide study and found that the unprecedented
injection of federal and state funding into the broadband market is
a disruptive force requiring an extraordinary volume of engineering
and construction activity that the market is not prepared to
support and will result in broadband deployment delays.
The study predicts the amount of federal and state broadband
funding will exceed the engineering, permitting, locating, and
construction workforce capacity to absorb it, therefore causing
bottlenecks. The research suggests that construction activity
supported by federal and state funding will be pushed two to three
years into the future, exposing some of this money to its
expiration date and complicating construction overall.
To avoid delays, the study suggests that 28,000 more broadband
construction workers and 30,000 more broadband technician workers
are needed to execute the current amount of planned federal and
state broadband funding. Moreover, the research predicts that an
additional 119,200 construction and technician workers will be
needed over the next 10 years to compensate for retirement and
attrition. The study also notes that additional workforce growth
will be needed for ongoing and routine broadband construction,
attachment, and maintenance activities. These needs are on top of
the drafting, design, and engineering resource needs that were not
specifically studied but represent a bottleneck before
infrastructure can be released for construction. The use of
design-build and/or turnkey delivery systems will likely accelerate
to compensate for these bottlenecks and delays.
Workforce development programs like FBA’s Optical Telecom
Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program are helping to train
fiber broadband technicians and fill the workforce gap. FBA is
currently engaged with 40 of its targeted 56 states and territories
to roll out the OpTIC Path program, with 44 service providers and
70 community colleges and training institutions.
“It is certainly an exciting time for the broadband industry as
approvals for federal and state funding are announced weekly.
However, without the proper workforce levels, bottlenecks will
choke and slow broadband deployment processes in unanticipated
ways,” said Deborah Kish, Vice President of Research and Workforce
Development at the Fiber Broadband Association. “Our OpTIC Path
program is advancing across North America, producing certified
fiber technicians ready to enter the workforce, but the industry
needs more support. It’s time for the broadband ecosystem to
collaborate and develop a serious strategy to address this issue
holistically or else be forced to delay broadband connectivity to
those communities that need it most.”
“This research confirms what our members have been telling us
for years,” PCCA President & CEO Tim Wagner said. “In 2016, the
PCCA Board identified the shortage of workers in broadband
construction as the largest obstacle our members faced, and a
subsequent membership survey showed that contractors were short 10
to 17 crews per company. The tremendous influx of public money
since 2016 has only exacerbated the problem. This study from
Continuum Capital shines a light on the true size of the problem,
and we firmly believe there is not just one solution. PCCA has
implemented myriad strategies over the past decade, including
partnering with technical/community colleges on utility technician
programs, registered apprenticeships through TIRAP, a returning
veteran program through the Learning Alliance, working with state
broadband offices, and outreach through a series of social media
videos. Much work remains, and our members are committed to finding
solutions.”
The “Broadband Market Workforce Needs” study offers a
state-by-state breakdown of broadband funding (including RSA, RDOF,
and BEAD), workforce numbers, and wage rates. Texas by far shows
the most need for construction and technician workers. Louisiana,
Washington, Georgia, and California follow closely in the number of
broadband workers needed.
FBA, PCCA, and Continuum Capital will review the results of the
study during a webinar coming soon. To register, visit the FBA
webinar calendar here. To access FBA’s full library of research,
visit https://fiberbroadband.org/resource-category/research/ or
subscribe to FBA’s Fiber Forward Weekly newsletter here to stay
updated on research news, how to volunteer to teach the OpTIC Path
course, and more.
About the Fiber Broadband Association
The Fiber Broadband Association is the largest and only trade
association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service
providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment
specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband
deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are
limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere
and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers,
communities, and policymakers make informed decisions about how,
where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since
2001, these companies, organizations, and members have worked with
communities and consumers in mind to build the critical
infrastructure that provides the economic and societal benefits
that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is
part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of
six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MEA,
APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.
About the Power & Communication Contractors
Association
The Power & Communication Contractors Association (PCCA) is
the national trade association for companies constructing electric
power facilities, including transmission and distribution lines and
substations, and broadband systems. Since its founding in 1945,
membership has grown to include hundreds of companies located
throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. These companies
are the leading construction, manufacturing, supply, and service
firms within the power and broadband construction industry. They
frequently serve as prime sources of information, news, and
background on the design and construction of power and broadband
infrastructure. For more information about PCCA, contact Tim
Wagner, President & CEO, at (800) 542-7222 or
twagner@pccaweb.org, or visit www.pccaweb.org.
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Autumn Minnich Connect2 Communications for the Fiber Broadband
Association FBA@connect2comm.com