WIA Introduces New Career Pathways Tool for Broadband Careers

First of its kind tool puts job seekers on the path to long-term career success 

Arlington, VA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) announced a new interactive tool, Career Pathways, to provide long-term vision for individuals interested in broadband careers.  Whether a job seeker is just starting out in the industry or planning for their next step, the Career Pathways tool gives the insights needed to take them to the next level.

The tool is the first of its kind digital platform, complete with training and education requirements, expected salary, and overall demand. WIA’s Career Pathways tool allows interested job seekers to visualize a path forward in the industry in more than 90 jobs across the broadband ecosystem.  Whether a job seeker is interested in designing, building, maintaining or supporting the network, from wired to wireless the Career Pathways tool has them covered.

“With $42 billion in broadband funding set to unleash a new wave of broadband deployment, we must act now to create a pipeline of broadband workers,” said Patrick Halley, President and CEO, WIA.  “As Career Pathways shows, individuals do not always progress in a straight line and this tool will empower them to chart their own path forward, transcending from a broadband job to a broadband career.”

Workforce development is a long-standing cornerstone of WIA’s efforts to support the wireless infrastructure industry. Career Pathways adds to WIA’s Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship (TIRAP) program, Broadband Sector Partnership program and the WIA Telecommunications Education Center (TEC).

“As we worked hand-in-hand with States, employers and job seekers over the last decade, we saw a gap in the industry for this type of career knowledge and awareness,” said Tim House, Chief Operating Officer, WIA. “We are proud to make Career Pathways available to job seekers, educators, employers and policymakers so we can continue to partner together to connect people with lifechanging careers and address the workforce needs of our industry.”

The Career Pathways tool:

• Provides detail down to the state level to show what occupations have current openings,
• Identifies the skills, education, training and work experience needed to get an identified job and how much individuals could earn in the job, and
• Demonstrates what future career progressions could look like once an individual is employed. For example, an entry level CAD designer has more than 10 career pathways available to reach a senior level position.

Dig deeper into the Career Pathways tool at careerpathways.wia.org

Watch a demo of the Career Pathways tool here.

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 infrastructure to enable connectivity everywhere.

Media Contact: April.Ward@wia.org