Partnership with University of Houston will Deliver Skilled Trades Training for Broadband
ARLINGTON, VA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) today announced it has been provisionally selected for a $5 million Building the Texas Broadband Workforce Grant from the Texas Broadband Development Office to lead a comprehensive 4-year program to educate and train Texans for high-demand broadband careers.
This statewide initiative directly addresses Texas’s most critical barrier to broadband expansion: a shortage of skilled fiber optic technicians required to meet BEAD deployment demands across the state. The program will operate through four University of Houston System campuses plus regional training sites, serving both urban and rural underserved communities identified as high-priority areas.
“Texas will need thousands of new broadband workers over the next several years to meet BEAD infrastructure goals, and this new program will deliver certified technicians to address this workforce gap,” said Patrick Halley, President and Chief Executive Officer, WIA. “Communities with reliable broadband access attract businesses and enable access to educational and healthcare services that transform quality of life. WIA is proud to lead this transformative project that will accelerate connectivity and turn jobs into careers for individuals across the great State of Texas.”
As an experienced industry intermediary, WIA brings together employers, academia, and government agencies to identify where broadband workers are needed most and create training programs to fill those jobs. WIA operates fiber optic technician credentialing and apprenticeship programs at both the national and state levels. University of Houston (UH) will serve as a strategic partner for the project.
“In partnership with the University of Houston System, WIA’s new program will create a permanent pipeline of skilled broadband workers that will serve Texas for decades beyond this initial investment,” said Tim House, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, WIA. “We’re not just training workers, we’re building sustainable career pathways that fully integrate into Texas higher education, ensuring graduates receive both industry credentials and academic credit toward degree programs.”
“The University of Houston is pleased to partner with WIA to implement a hands-on fiber optic technician training program throughout the UH System and across Texas,” said Dr. Dmitri Litvinov, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean of Research, University of Houston. “This initiative is an excellent addition to our career training programs and will serve to prepare the next generation of Texans for high demand jobs and fulfilling careers in the broadband industry. We’re excited to get to work, and we thank the Texas Broadband Development Office for their support for workforce development.”
The tuition-free, statewide program will establish a fiber optic training program using OpTIC Path
curriculum—a comprehensive 144-hour certification program developed by the Fiber Broadband Association — to certify Texans and support the state’s workforce initiatives. Over the life of the project, WIA and its partners will:
- Implement hands-on fiber optic technician training in partnership with the University of Houston System, including establishing four lab locations outfitted with industry-standard equipment,
- Fully integrate training curricula into UH’s regular course offerings, ensuring that broadband workforce development becomes a permanent component of Texas higher education,
- Ensure graduates receive both industry-recognized credentials and academic credit that can be applied toward degree programs, and
- Scale job placement opportunities for graduates by leveraging WIA’s position as a national trade association representing employers in the digital infrastructure sector as well as the experience of Texas-based recruiters from Brooksource, a national provider of Information Technology and Engineering human capital solutions.
Learn more about the Building the Texas Broadband Workforce Grant Program via the Texas Broadband Development Office.
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 and broadband infrastructure to enable connectivity everywhere. WIA provides industry-leading education & training programs through its Telecommunications Education Center and is the National Sponsor of the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), a Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program.
Media Contact: April.Ward@wia.org
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