TIRAP Officials Bring Safety Message to FCC – DOL Tower Climber Safety Workshop in Washington, D.C.

February 10^th, 2016, Washington, D.C. – The Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), which aims to promote safety, enhance quality, and enable education and advancement opportunities in the telecommunications workforce that will meet network infrastructure build out needs, participated today in the Second Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Tower Climber Safety Workshop at the FCC Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

                                                                            

TIRAP Board Members who participated on a panel focusing on climbing safety and the role apprenticeships will play in the industry included Dave Anthony, founder and CEO of Shenandoah Tower Service; David Sams, Vice President of Risk Management for SBA Communications Corp.; Laurie Gebhardt, Director of Network Engineering & Operations Support for Verizon Wireless; and Jonathan Adelstein, CEO of PCIA – The Wireless Infrastructure Association.

“I would like to thank the FCC and the Department of Labor for bringing these voices together for this important event,” said Scott Kisting, Senior Vice President at SABRE/MUTI Tower Service Co. and Chairman of the TIRAP Board of Directors. “TIRAP was created by the wireless infrastructure industry because we understand the vital role training and education play in quality installations and in ensuring the safety of all worksites.”

Federal officials in attendance today included Tom Wheeler, Chairman of the FCC; Roger Sherman, FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief; Dean McKenzie, Acting Director, Directorate of Construction at the U.S. Department of Labor/OSHA; and Eric M. Seleznow, Deputy Assistant Secretary – ETA.

TIRAP was established in 2014 as a public-private partnership between leading wireless infrastructure companies, industry associations, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  The mission of the consortium is to develop apprenticeship programs and improve workplace quality, safety, address industry workforce needs, and provide workers with greater employment and advancement opportunities.

 

“In a short period of time, TIRAP has brought together a broad cross section of an entire industry,” said Jonathan Adelstein. “Never before has the Department of Labor seen such a single, industrywide effort to connect workers with the skills they need to succeed.  Rather than a single company, we have combined forces across companies large and small. These are the companies and people who are building the nation’s wireless voice and data networks that power our economy.”

An archived video recording of the workshop will be available on the FCC’s event website within a few days following the event.

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About TIRAP
The Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) is a joint venture of telecommunications companies, industry associations and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that develops DOL-credentialed apprenticeship programs available to qualified employers for the training and career development of the telecommunications workforce. The TIRAP’s mission is to partner with stakeholders to promote safety, enhance quality, and enable education and advancement opportunities in the telecommunications workforce that will meet network infrastructure build out needs. For more information, visit www.tirap.org.