FCC-Led Report Finds 'Profound Skills Gap' in Telecom Workforce
A report to Congress by the Telecommunications Workforce Interagency Group (TWIG), released Friday, urges Congress to reauthorize the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), which was signed into law in 2018, and the administration to launch an interagency National Broadband Workforce Task Force. The report was mandated as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provided more than $48 billion to close the digital divide.
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“A profound skills gap exists in the telecommunications industry workforce due to technology advancement and vast new investment running into a general lack of available training and education at institutions of higher education, and secondary education feeding into them,” the 40-page report said: “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programming tends to focus on technology careers in computer networking, software developers, and IT with little emphasis on the need for STEM professionals to design and maintain the advanced communication infrastructure needed for both business and personal use.”
The administration launched the TWIG last March, with speeches by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and other administration officials (see 2203080064). Rosenworcel said then the U.S. isn't giving the attention to the telecom workforce that will be needed as federal funds are spent to build out broadband.
Perkins V should be reauthorized “with a new emphasis on aligning the programs to national infrastructure needs, particularly broadband and 5G,” the report said: “The Department of Labor should use existing programs to encourage training in the areas of telecommunications infrastructure, wireless technology, and broadband generally.”
The study urges identifying ways to train and recruit veterans for broadband jobs. It emphasizes the importance of “diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility” in recruitment and urges a focus on worker safety, including tower climbers. “Consider specific factors affecting the environmental and physical working conditions unique to this industry,” the report advises: “Create a common resource page or directory for the telecommunications industry sector regarding workforce safety and training.” One potential way of improving education would be allowing Pell Grants to be used for short-term credentials programs, the report said.
TWIG cited the need for better data on the broadband workforce and urged the Bureau of Labor Statistics to update occupational classifications descriptions to better reflect the changing workforce. “Currently, a lack of granular data presents a challenge in crafting recommendations on ways that trends in wages, benefits, and working conditions in the telecommunications industry impact recruitment of employees in the sector,” the report said: “Data from the Census show a long-term stagnation of broadband technician wages, particularly for lower-wage workers.”
“There is perhaps no more important issue to address when it comes to accelerating broadband expansion than the need for a highly skilled telecommunications workforce,” emailed Wireless Infrastructure Association Executive Vice President Tim House, who was on the task force. “Some of the key focus areas of this report, like improving Veteran recruitment, promoting diversity, and expanding registered apprenticeship are already areas of focus for WIA, and we look forward to supporting Congress and the Administration as they act on these recommendations,” he said.
“We need to be forward-looking with an eye on the workforce needs of the future, including the diverse high-tech workforce needed to promote continued development and innovation in broadband networks, network virtualization, system integration, software development, and more,” Rosenworcel said Friday.
In addition to the FCC, agencies in TWIG are the Education Department, NTIA and the Labor Department.