WIA, FBA Partner to Expand Access to Fiber Optic Training, OpTIC Path™ Certification

WIA, FBA Partner to Expand Access to Fiber Optic Training, OpTIC Path™ Certification

ARLINGTON, VA –The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) today announced a partnership with the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) to expand WIA’s industry-leading Telecommunications Education Center curriculum to include FBA’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification program (OpTIC Path™).

FBA’s program consists of up to 144 hours of classroom instruction and hands-on skills training. Upon completing the industry-developed and -validated courses, trainees can be tested and certified as an Optical Telecom Installer. FBA’s OpTIC Path program joins WIA’s 5G Readiness Program as the second credentialed program to be offered by WIA.

“We are pleased to partner with FBA to expand the education and training offerings of WIA’s Telecommunications Education Center,” said Patrick Halley, President and CEO, WIA. “Adding FBA’s OpTIC Path program within TEC is one more way that WIA and FBA are working together to support employers with the critical training courses they need to prepare for the future, while enabling individuals to turn a job into a career within the broadband industry.”

“Expanding the workforce with highly skilled and trained technicians is currently one of the most critical requirements impacting the success of the fiber broadband industry,” said Deborah Kish, Vice President, Research and Workforce Development, Fiber Broadband Association. “We know that nearly 180,000 workers are needed over the next decade to fulfill planned federal and state broadband funding. Our expanding partnership with WIA is a great example of valuable collaboration across the industry, bringing us closer to the connectivity finish line where we will close the digital divide for all Americans.”

WIA’s TEC serves as a world-class training resource for employers, institutions of higher education, and individual learners of all backgrounds and experience. TEC offers more than 30 courses, from on-demand virtual courses on the fundamentals of wireless networks to live instructor-taught technical courses and a credentialed program on 5G Readiness.

This partnership builds on WIA and FBA’s collaboration on Registered Apprenticeship. Since 2017, WIA has served as the Telecommunications Industry Intermediary and National Sponsor of the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), a US Department of Labor (DOL)-registered apprenticeship program. More than 100 employers participate in TIRAP nationwide, with nearly 6,000 apprentices trained to date via 16 DOL-certified occupations. FBA’s Optic Path™ course is incorporated into TIRAP’s apprenticeship framework and supports training for several TIRAP occupations.

To learn more about WIA’s TEC course offerings and credentialed programs, including the Fiber OpTIC Path™ course, visit TEC online.

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About WIA
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) represents the businesses that build, develop, own, and operate the nation’s wireless infrastructure. WIA advocates for the widespread, responsible deployment of wireless infrastructure to enable connectivity everywhere.

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 policy makers 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.

Media Contacts: April.Ward@wia.org and FBA@connect2comm.com