CWA, Carriers Pledge Workforce Development Efforts at White House
The White House unveiled workforce development commitments including by telecom companies and unions Wednesday. AT&T, Corning and Communications Workers of America “are partnering to expand training and create a good jobs pipeline, including by bringing former broadband technicians back into…
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the sector and encouraging companies engaged in AT&T and Corning training programs to attend additional safety courses,” the White House said. AT&T and CWA formed “a task force to design broadband apprenticeship programs, work with community colleges to expand career options for current employees, and streamline tuition reimbursement for AT&T’s union employees,” it said. Lumen will spend about $80 million annually to hire 1,000 employees, “many of them in union jobs,” for expanding fiber. Also, the carrier “will provide hundreds of in-person, hands-on technical training sessions,” the White House said. Charter Communications pledged to increase employee tuition assistance to $10,000 a year and will recruit at three more military bases, said the administration: NTCA and CWA will partner “to make registered apprenticeship more accessible to NTCA member companies. The Fiber Broadband Association and the Wireless Infrastructure Association signed a “a collaborative workforce development agreement to promote registered apprenticeship, develop curriculum, establish industry-recognized credentials and certifications, and articulate career pathways in the broadband industry,” the White House said. “With significant investment from the Biden Administration and strong commitments in place from our industry partners, we can make these highly skilled and technical careers within reach for many more workers, including former technicians who are on the sidelines due to years of job cuts,” said CWA President Chris Shelton. “It is critical not only to diversify our workforce and offer opportunities for economic mobility and job security, but to meet the nation’s urgent need for high-speed fiber broadband in every home.”