2019 WIA Awards to Honor Congresswoman Matsui and Congressman Guthrie as Wireless Workforce Champions

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) announced today that Reps. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) will receive Congressional Wireless Workforce Champion Awards. The WIA Foundation will present the honor at the 2019 WIA Awards on Oct. 1 in Washington, D.C.

“Congresswoman Matsui and Congressman Guthrie are strong supporters for developing the wireless workforce,” said WIA President and CEO Jonathan Adelstein. “They keenly understand that winning the global race to 5G requires a workforce that is properly trained, particularly through apprenticeships. Their work has helped call attention to the job skills gap we face today, and they are driving action to address the issue. WIA is are proud to honor them for championing the wireless workforce and supporting initiatives to prepare for 5G.”

“The stakes are high in the race to 5G because it has the power to unleash a new era and new possibilities for our economy. For us to win, we need to build the wireless workforce of the future and encourage people of all ages to pursue rewarding careers in telecommunications,” said Congresswoman Matsui, Vice-Chair of the Energy and Commerce Telecommunications Subcommittee. “Reducing the skills gap, providing broader opportunity for apprenticeships, and building next-generation wireless infrastructure is the focus of my work in Congress, which is why I am honored to receive the Wireless Workforce Champion Award.”

“It is critical to have a well-trained workforce to build and upgrade the infrastructure of next-generation networks. Apprenticeship programs play an important role in ensuring the workforce has the skills required to deploy 5G,” said Congressman Guthrie. “I thank the WIA Foundation for this award, and I am committed to ensuring that the U.S. remains the global leader in wireless technology as we transition to 5G.”

Both members are Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Spectrum Caucus. Rep. Matsui is Co-Chair of the Congressional High Tech Caucus and a member of the House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee. Rep. Guthrie serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is the ranking member of the Oversight and Investigation subcommittee. 

RSVP and sponsorship information for the WIA Awards is available here: https://awards.wia.org. Event logistics can be found below.

WIA Awards
October 1, 2019
6-9 p.m.
Conrad Hotel
Washington, D.C.

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About the WIA Awards
Taking place Oct. 1, 2019 in Washington, D.C., the 2019 WIA Awards will honor wireless workforce champions by celebrating members of Congress, the FCC, and industry leadership that support development of the workforce needed to build America’s 5G wireless networks. Hosted by the Wireless Infrastructure Association Foundation, proceeds will benefit wireless education, training, and apprenticeships. In connection with the event, WIA will also offer a 5G workshop training through the Telecommunications Education Center’s (TEC) 5G Outlook and Technologies Course.

Contact: Amy-Gabrielle Bartolac, Public Affairs Manager
703-621-0527 | Amy-Gabrielle.Bartolac@wia.org