118th Congress Has Options for Addressing Broadband Workforce Needs: CRS
To meet broadband deployment labor needs, the federal government and states could consider partnering on broadband workforce training, the Congressional Research Service said Friday. It said while some stakeholders contend shortages may hinder broadband deployment, others appear to disagree there…
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is a broadband workforce shortage. CRS said options before the 118th Congress include directing federal agencies to collect more data on the broadband workforce to help determine whether a workforce shortage exists, and if that in turn affects efforts to close the digital divide. Congress also could direct the FCC, NTIA and Agriculture Department to collect information from grant recipients on any difficulty experienced in securing skilled technicians for deployment projects as part of reporting requirements, it said. Lawmakers might also want to consider legislation based on recommendations that come out of the agency reports and guidance pursuant to the Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act, it said. Other options include a study to measure performance metrics to gauge the effectiveness of existing training programs, it said. Congress could also establish a program or amend an existing broadband program to include requirements for broadband workforce training and development, CRS said.