Partnering with America's

Världsomspännande partners

to Address the Fiber Optic Technician Shortage

“Urgent Need to Recruit and Train Nearly 180,000 Workers to Complete Federal-and State-Funded Broadband Networks”

-Fiber Broadband Association

K-12

Non-Profit

Higher Ed

State

Veteran Reentry

Introduction:

Light Brigade's Fiber Optic Workforce Training:

Partnering in Providing Solutions for the Technician Shortage

The sheer scope of the $48.5M Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), isn't just a challenge—it's a seismic shift in infrastructure—demanding a workforce revolution. We're talking about a level of construction activity that will dwarf anything seen in recent memory, creating a nationwide labor vacuum that threatens to paralyze progress. Simply put, the current workforce is a drop in the bucket compared to the tidal wave of fiber miles we're committed to laying.

Building this fiber broadband infrastructure will trigger an unprecedented amount of construction activity. The scale of the BEAD program will create a nationwide demand for skilled labor far beyond what the current workforce can support. The U.S. Government, in preparation for the insufficiency in the availability of high-skilled labor, has investigated different methods to improve recruitment and scale workforce training to address the shortfall many states will not be able to meet in the telecommunications industry workforce.

According to the Fiber Broadband Association, it is estimated that around 205,000 additional technicians will be required through 2029 to support BEAD builds. Other estimates forecast up to 850,000 new technicians to be required throughout the greater industry. The Government Accountability Office estimates approximately 34,000 this year alone for broadband.

Likewise, seismic growth of fiber-to-the-home broadband networks, another high demand area requiring skilled physical layer infrastructure technicians, is in the explosive growth of data centers, especially as it relates to AI. The number of new technicians required for building and maintaining new and existing data centers changes daily, but what we do know is that there is a lack of training opportunities for Layer 1 (physical layer) technicians specifically working in data centers. Most data center training opportunities and credentialing revolve around power, cooling, design, and other layers of the OSI model beyond the physical layer.

In addition, skilled fiber optic technicians are required in utility, co-op, cellular, undersea, mining, oil and gas, sensing, and in-building applications.

Major Challenges Contributing to the
Technician Shortage

Challenges:

Challenge 1:

Explosive growth in fiber optic industry verticals.

Challenge 2:

The median age of line technicians, datacom technicians, and telecom technicians is 43-45 years old. As these technicians age out and retire, or move on to management roles, there is not an equal amount entering the field. It is commonly agreed upon that for every five technicians that exit the industry, there is only one to replace them.

Challenge 3:

Historically, many new entrants to these fields were the result of a family member bringing the next generation into the field. Over time, those relatives wanted a perceived better life for their younger family members and we saw a trend where fewer were encouraged into these fields.

Challenge 4:

Over the past thirty years there has been a reduction in attracting new talent to lineman, telecom, and datacom technicians. In the mid-nineties there was a shift in the K-12 education system where students were encouraged to pursue non-technical fields and go to college to earn a four-year degree. This led to the reduction of “shop” class offerings as students were encouraged to follow a more academic path.

Challenge 5:

Lack of awareness and attraction to opportunities and income levels in these fields.

Clinging to Outdated Training Models?

There are many options for training the skills required. These range from online sources such as YouTube tutorials to on-the-job training, to formalized training options. Not all training methods result in a highly skilled technician.

The technician will be required to install, splice and connectorized various types of cable, construct fiber optic enclosures, properly dress cables, and be able to test and troubleshoot networks. Preparing new technicians to perform the latter requires structured and standardized training to instill theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills to prepare the candidate for real-world employment success.

The curriculum should be traceable and validated by a third party, be current and high quality, provide an engaging learning experience, and remain focused on the specific learning outcomes required for placement and success. Beyond the classroom training, making the learner marketable to the industry is of prime importance. One way to do this is with industry recognized credentialing. All Light Brigade workforce development programs prepare the candidate to earn Electronics Technician Association International (ETA-i) credentials related to their learning path to not only make them more marketable, but to prove that they possess the theoretical and hands-on skills required to hit the ground running.

How Can Workforce Development

and K-12 Programs Help?

Workforce Development:

Filling this demand void will require multiple channels of attraction and preparation to ensure success. Beyond the traditional methods of recruitment such as job postings, career fairs, lateral reassignments, there is a need for more innovative paths to attract new technicians. State and community college workforce development programs, as well as K-12 awareness are ideal starting points.

Light Brigade, the leader in fiber optic skills training, has developed a workforce development/education focus for licensing turn-key education curriculum and train-the trainer programs to such institutions. Our current workforce development courses are tailored for workforce development.

For K-12, we have developed two levels of what we call Fiber Optics in a Box. The first level is aimed at grades 6-8 to bring basic understanding of how fiber optics works, along with a look into what career opportunities might interest them. The level 2 option is aimed at grades 9-12 and provides a deeper level look at fiber optic skills and career opportunities.

Both levels act as a primer to build career awareness and to encourage students to either enroll in a CTE Telecommunications course in high school or pursue further education and certification via a workforce development program post-graduation.

Light Brigade's Course Benefits
for Workforce Development

Light Brigade:

In 1987 Light Brigade started the crusade to broaden the industry's fiber optic skills training and knowledge. Today, Light Brigade is regarded as the Leader in Fiber Optic Skills Training. For over 35 years Light Brigade has offered worldwide, state-of-the-art, instructor-led, certified fiber optic training courses and hands-on skills training for industry professionals. Light Brigade has trained nearly 100,000 technicians, installers, engineers, designers, and other support staff from a variety of industries worldwide, equipping them with the skills required to move forward in their careers.

With extensive theoretical and practical experience, Light Brigade’s training courses focus on fiber optic installation, testing, troubleshooting, as well as, engineering, and design. Fiber optic training courses provided by Light Brigade range from basic fiber optics introduction to small enterprise networks to large FTTH deployments and harsh industrial environments. Light Brigade has partnered with leading industry bodies such as the Electronics Technician Association International (ETA) to provide certification for our industry leading training courses.

Light Brigade's Fiber Optic Workforce Development Training Courses

Training Courses:

Our Workforce Development training is aimed at unemployed and under-employed looking to become re-skilled, veteran and incarcerated reentry, as well as traditional and non-traditional students interested in a career path as a fiber optic technician.

Foundational Level Courses

Foundational level courses are instructor-led and provide a fundamental understanding of fiber optics with practical hands-on skills training required to install and maintain fiber optic networks.

Fiber Optics 1-2-3 (ETA FOI)
Broadband Fiber Optic Technician Level 1 (ETA BFI)
Fiber Optics for Data Centers (ETA FOT-ISP)

Intermediate Level Courses

Intermediate level courses review the skills learned in foundational courses and expand to provide a deeper understanding of concepts and how they are applied beyond the basics.

Advanced Outside Plant Technician (ETA FOT-OSP)
Broadband Fiber Optic Technician Level 2 (ETA BFT)
OTDR and Splicing Deep Dive (ETA COT / ETA CST)

Credentials & Certifications

Fiber Optic Certifications:

Industry

Workforce Development courses offer independent, third-party industry organization, fiber optic certifications demonstrating progressive competency in technical skills. Professional certifications confirm compliance to industry standards, enhance credibility, reduce turnover, and make learners more marketable in the competitive market.

Light Brigade

We have partnered with Credly to provide accredited learners an easy way to share their fiber optic credentials. A Light Brigade digital badge shows the world learners have earned the knowledge and skills from the leader in fiber optic hands-on skills training. With over 35 years of fiber optic training history, preparing learners to become successful fiber optic technicians, Light Brigade has earned the name recognition and respect of the industry as the authority in fiber optic training.

Contact:

By equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in this dynamic field, we can bridge the skills gap and ensure a sustainable future for the fiber optic industry.

Contact one of our training program experts to learn more about our specialized courses for Workforce Development. We look forward to partnering with and assisting you in implementing fiber optic technician programs.