College partners with FBA and VNet Fiber to train fiber technicians and connect communities

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced Erie County Community College is now offering FBA’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program. The course will train the skilled fiber technicians needed to expand local fiber networks in and around Erie, Pa., and connect their communities to high-performance broadband services.

Many service providers across the country are looking to build or expand fiber broadband networks and take advantage of the momentous opportunity that the NTIA’s $42.45 billion BEAD fund creates. However, there exists a large gap in skilled technicians capable of deploying the fiber that can connect America to high-quality broadband. FBA’s OpTIC Path program works to eliminate this workforce shortage so that the fiber broadband industry can close the digital equity gap.

FBA is currently engaged with 39 states to roll out the OpTIC Path program, with 40 service providers, 67 community colleges and training institutions, and electric cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Tennessee, and Oklahoma have either adopted or are interested in the program. The program is gaining support from employers across the fiber broadband industry, working closely with schools and training facilities so they can hire certified technicians as soon as they are ready to enter the workforce.

Erie County Community College is America’s newest community college and is laser-focused on workforce development in northwest Pennsylvania. It is partnering with VNet Fiber—the region’s only locally owned and operated Internet Service Provider. Graduates of the OpTIC Path program will create a pipeline of talent that will support VNet Fiber’s plans to expand its fiber optic network by 100%.

“The OpTIC Path program will deliver new job opportunities for Erie County that will have an immediate and long-lasting impact on workforce development,” said Rebecca Walker, Dean of Workforce Development at Erie County Community College. “This course is an exciting addition to our school and we look forward to seeing certified technicians help connect our communities for years to come.”

“In order to meet our growth goals, it is critical that we maintain a fluid pipeline of skilled fiber technicians. The OpTIC Path program and our partnership with Erie County Community College will accomplish that,” said Matt Wiertel, Director of Sales and Business Development for VNet Fiber. “This collaboration will ensure that we can safely deploy fiber to our communities, maintain efficiency, and ensure our residents and businesses have access to high-quality broadband.”

“Our industry must first build a solid fiber technician workforce before it can officially close the digital equity gap,” said Deborah Kish, Vice President of Research and Workforce Development at the Fiber Broadband Association. “The OpTIC Path program provides the tools needed for any school, college, or other training facility to effectively train skilled fiber technicians.”

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.

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