business backgrounder | education & workforce
Unlimited Bandwidth
Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center in Everett is the first school in America to offer fiber optic certification through the Fiber Broadband Association .
Brian Mittge
Juniors and seniors have access to training for dozens of high-demand occupations at this public school . The latest career pathway open to these teenagers is in the growing industry of broadband , thanks to a collaboration with Whidbey Telecom .
Jeff Baesler , lead fiber technician for Whidbey Telecom , works with Sno-Isle Tech students on fiber optics training .
“ As the fiber workforce continues to age and many technicians near retirement , it ’ s important to ensure that the next generation of fiber technicians are qualified , ready , and excited to step up . Graduates of this course will be welcomed into a workforce that will remain high in demand for decades to come , offering a well-paid , long-term career .”
— Todd Jackson , director of workforce development at the Fiber Broadband Association
EVERETT — Electronics instructor Ted Rodriquez likes to say that the bandwidth carried by one slender fiber optic cable is unlimited .
Thanks to a unique new workforce education partnership in Snohomish County , the same thing might be said about the future prospects for the students at Sno-Isle Technical Skills Center .
In fact , led by Rodriquez and professionals on loan from nearby Whidbey Telecom , this public high school is now the first and only high school in the nation to offer fiber optic technician certification for its juniors and seniors .
The Fiber Broadband Association ’ s Optical Telecom Installer Certification is a 10-week program that puts graduates into a good position to immediately be considered for hiring into jobs that help connect an increasingly online world .
The Fiber Broadband Association ’ s Optical Telecom Installer Certification program www . fiberbroadband . org / education-and-certification / fba-optic-path
Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center www . mukilteoschools . org / Page / 16707
Whidbey Telecom www . whidbeytel . com spring 2024 45