Events
New Broadband Technician Program Will Provide Job Opportunities
RALEIGH, N.C. (September 17, 2012) - Job seekers interested in telecommunications careers can now come to Wake Technical Community College for the skills they need to enter the field. Wake Tech’s new Broadband Technician Training program, the only one of its kind in North Carolina, springs from a new partnership that includes Wake Tech, Time Warner Cable, and the Apprenticeship and Training Bureau of the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL). The industry-specific training will be offered through Wake Tech’s non-credit continuing education division.
“We’re excited to partner with Wake Tech on a new Broadband Technician program that launches next month. Today’s cable and broadband technician needs a wide range of technical skills and we believe programs like this one will help us build a pipeline of highly skilled applicants ready to enter the workforce,” said Kenny Hulsey, Director, Technical Training East Region, Time Warner Cable. “The students will be receiving hands-on training comparable to what our new hires receive which will equip them well to compete for positions here at Time Warner Cable.”
Students in the Broadband Technician Training program will learn how to install and troubleshoot cable, telephone and Internet services; practice equipment testing using the appropriate tools; and study industry standards and customer service. In addition to getting hands-on experience with the latest home theaters, personal computers and DVR systems, students will learn OSHA safety standards, Spanish for the workplace, and safe driving techniques.
“Industry-specific training is extremely practical and applicable for today’s students,” says Wake Tech President Dr. Stephen C. Scott. “They want a wide range of skills that translate into jobs and give them career options. We’re thrilled to collaborate with Time Warner Cable and the NC Department of Labor to offer training in this rapidly-expanding field of work.”
Officials at NCDOL’s Apprenticeship and Training Bureau have identified broadband technician training as a “pre-apprenticeship” program: While still in the classroom, students get occupational experience that they can apply toward apprenticeship with a future employer.
“Pre-apprenticeship is an excellent way to explore career options,” says Commissioner of Labor Cherie Berry, “and Wake Tech’s new broadband training offers a wonderful avenue for job seekers who want to break into the field of telecommunications.”
Broadband Technician Training starts October 8 and runs through November 29 at Wake Tech’s Public Safety Education Campus. Upon completion of the program, students will be able to meet with Time Warner Cable’s talent acquisition team and interview for currently-available positions.
For more information and to register for the program, visit http://conted.waketech.edu/schedule.
