Husted encourages broadband job training
Outside the steps of Nelsonville’s Tri-county Career Center, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted implored southeast Ohioans to enroll in the center’s fiberoptic technician training program – the latest state effort to marry workforce development and broadband expansion.
“I always say, we can spend a bunch of money, but if we don’t have people to install the infrastructure we’re gonna be very slow and inefficient,” the lieutenant governor said in an interview with The Dispatch.
The purpose of Wednesday’s announcement was twofold: encourage folks to sign up for the course and to commit the state to develop more educational opportunities, similar to the fiberoptic technician program.
The Ohio’s Broadband Strategy is determined to expose middle school and high school students to the potential career opportunities within the broadband industry, especially once the state begins allocating funding toward expansion through the Broadband Program Expansion Authority and grant program.
Before the state budget was passed, and restored the $250 million that Husted and Gov. Mike Dewine set aside for broadband expansion, the lieutenant governor understood increasing internet access would not be possible without also increasing the number of Ohioans in the industry.
They made some inquiries around
six to nine months ago to figure out how many job training programs in the broadband industry existed: just one.
“The alarm bells went off,” Husted said. “This is not gonna get it done.”
So the state joined with the Tricounty Career Center in Nelsonville, which had the capacity to teach local residents, but was lacking funds and expertise.
Husted's office facilitated a relationship between Horizon Broadband, an internet service provider, and the career center to provide a fiberoptic technician for the class and a $30,000 grant from the state Department of Development.
The result is a $900, 61⁄2-week class that meets twice a week in the evenings that offers a potential $60,000 salaried position after a year on the job for certified graduates, Husted explained.
During the news conference, Horizon Senior Vice President Brian Riley assured folks that there are guaranteed jobs upon completion of the course.
“I'll speak for Horizon, specifically, we'll hire anyone who wants to work,” he said.
Part of government's job is to foster collaboration between the private sector and local municipalities and communities, Husted said.
It's why the state worked with Horizon to establish the connection between the fiber-ptic network developer and a southeastern Ohio career center such as Tri-county.
“We don't want any educational institution to have to build their own program,” Husted said. “We're working with a private sector company and educational institution to build curriculum, provide instructors and some of the capital, so it's off the shelf ready to go.”
Husted added during the news conference that he views this opportunity as “a little bit of a patriotic career opportunity,” and hopes that the sense of service and community spirit spearheaded by Tri-county will be a model for the rest of the state.
Céilí Doyle is a Report for America corps member and covers rural issues in Ohio for The Dispatch. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at https://bit.ly/3fnsgaz.
cdoyle@dispatch.com