Central Maine Community College Chooses Fiber Broadband Association’s OpTIC Path™ to Overcome Fiber Broadband Workforce Shortage
June 27 2024 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
Fiber optic technician training program will
help Maine communities connect to high-performance broadband
services
The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced that FBA’s
Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program is
now available for Maine residents through Central Maine Community
College (CMCC). The course will train the skilled fiber technicians
needed to expand local networks and connect Maine communities to
high-performance fiber broadband services. The OpTIC Path program
also delivers important opportunities to graduates, enabling them
to enter a professional industry with long-term value.
Like many states, Maine is gaining layers of federal and private
funding to build or improve broadband infrastructure and close the
digital divide. This includes $128 million from the American Rescue
Plan Act (ARPA) - Capital Projects Fund, $260.7 million from the
ARPA Fiscal Recovery Funds, $42.45 billion from the Broadband
Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, and an additional $30
million grant from the Broadband Infrastructure Program. However,
the existing broadband technician workforce shortage has to be
addressed in order to leverage any funding appropriately and build
networks within deadlines.
CMCC will offer the OpTIC Path program in partnership with the
Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce,
which offers short-term training through Maine’s community colleges
to upskill and strengthen Maine’s workforce. The fiber optic
training course is three weeks long, and upon completing the
120-hour course, graduates will be certified fiber optic
technicians ready to start work.
“The Fiber Broadband Association’s OpTIC Path program is an
exciting addition to our course offerings,” said Dwayne Conway,
Dean of Workforce and Professional Development, Central Maine
Community College. “This program will ensure that graduates are
prepared to enter the field ready to work. That will put graduates
at the top of candidate lists and save potential employers training
time and cost. As a result, our state’s fiber broadband networks
can be built more efficiently.”
“FBA’s OpTIC Path program will be crucial to help us combat the
local broadband workforce shortage,” said Dan Belyea, Chief
Workforce Development Officer at The Harold Alfond Center. “Our
goal is to speed the delivery of critical training, implement
short-term workforce training programs for Maine’s community
colleges, and work closely with business leaders and workforce
stakeholders throughout the state. FBA’s program is an exciting
addition to our training options, bringing new opportunities to
advance connectivity in our state.”
“Maine will utilize the $272 million in federal funding from the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to expand
broadband. The first step in this process is to ensure that they
have qualified fiber technicians to start these builds,” said Todd
Jackson, Director of Workforce Development at the Fiber Broadband
Association. “The OpTIC Path program provides the tools needed for
any school, college, or another training facility to effectively
prepare skilled fiber technicians to safely build high-performance
broadband networks.”
FBA is currently engaged with 40 of its targeted 56 states and
territories to roll out the OpTIC Path program, with 44 service
providers and 70 community colleges and training institutions. The
OpTIC Path program is rapidly gaining traction among employers in
the fiber broadband industry. These employers work hand-in-hand
with schools and training institutions to ensure a steady supply of
certified technicians ready to join the workforce. Furthermore,
they are integrating OpTIC Path into their workforce development
programs, leveraging it to reskill and upskill their existing
employees as part of their overall workforce development strategy.
To learn more, visit
fiberbroadband.org/education-and-certification/fba-optic-path/.
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.
About the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s
Workforce
The Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s
Workforce manages short-term workforce training programs for
Maine’s community colleges. Launched in 2021, the Center aims to
train 24,000 Mainers, enhancing their employment prospects and
contributing to the state’s economic growth. Training encompasses
pre-hire training for underemployed individuals, professional
development for current workers, and scholarships for ongoing
education in certificate and degree pursuits. These initiatives are
made possible by the generous support of Maine Quality Centers, the
Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, and the foundational backing of the
Harold Alfond Foundation.
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Press Contacts: Autumn Minnich Connect2
Communications for the Fiber Broadband Association
FBA@connect2comm.com
Heather Douglass hdouglass@mccs.me.edu