Dura-Line Academy: Helping Fiber Infrastructure Crews of Tomorrow Get Field Ready Faster

Among other valuable insights, this survey confirmed what many in the industry know well by now – the workforce is aging rapidly, and new entrants aren’t arriving in numbers large enough to make up the difference. FBA’s VP of Research & Workforce Development, Deborah Kish, summarizes the problem. 

The fiber industry is currently facing a real workforce crisis as demand for connectivity continues to rise, and federal funding rolls out and projects begin. So the shocking thing is that the number of fiber technicians over the age of 50 and likely near on the retirement path has changed considerably recently—at one point, it was only 62%, and just in the last couple of years, that seems to have risen to nearly 70% of fiber technicians nearing retirement, which puts decades of valuable experience at risk.

At the same time, only 10% of current technicians are at ages 20-30, which really brings forward an urgent need to attract, train and retain younger talent.  We'd like to see this reversed - 70% of fiber technicians are in the 20-40 age range, and 30% on the retirement path with a constant pipeline of younger people so we don't find ourselves in this position 3-5 years from now and beyond." 

But getting tomorrow’s crews up to speed is costly and time-consuming. While many companies are moving beyond the on-the-job training model of the past, the publication underscored the high cost of training, and recommended companies take advantage of existing resources wherever possible. 

To get a first-hand account of what it’s like to tackle the growing issue of workforce development in our industry, we sat down with two seasoned professionals who shared their experiences utilizing Dura-Line Academy to train the workforce of tomorrow. 

University of Arkansas Cossatot:
Training Future Fiber Heroes 

A veteran of the telecommunications industry for nearly 30 years, Marty Allen wanted to put his decades of experience to work training tomorrow’s workforce when he was asked to develop and instruct courses for the University of Arkansas Cossatot’s 15-week Fiber Network Engineer Program. Like Shane Matthews, Allen recognized seismic shifts in the telecommunications and power workforce as he developed the program’s curriculum and worked with students.  

“All of my students have no prior network experience, that’s the number one challenge I’ve got—getting them the experience they’ll need to come out of the program with.” 

Allen worked with a number of industry partners and the University of Arkansas to develop a broad program that provides the basics of workplace software and resume-building skills in addition to the foundations of outside plant knowledge to set students up for success once they complete the program.  

After working with Dura-Line to create a comprehensive bundle of relevant and engaging courses for brand-new technicians, Allen launched Dura-Line Academy to his students as part of the program’s syllabus. 

“Everything that's there is relevant and current to the industry. The training, the different modules, —the students love them. I think they're better developed than any we've been through,” Allen shares, noting that students move through the bite-sized courses with ease. 

While on-the-job training still has an important role to play, Allen notes that the flexible, accessible online format gave his students a leg up and complemented the hands-on experience that they gained in the field.  

“With more knowledge of the industry, they can speak the lingo, they can start to work with the equipment, and it's a great starting point. They're not scared of it when they get out to a jobsite—they're getting out there and doing it.” 

Fast forward, and UA Cossatot students are launching careers in the broadband industry and discussions are already underway to expand the program to students across Arkansas.