business backgrounder | education & workforce
This family-owned company , which has 105 employees , sends three of its fiber technicians over from Whidbey Island to the mainland three days a week to demonstrate practical applications of the theory that Rodriquez teaches the class .
“ They are so positive ,” said Sno-Isle Tech ’ s partnership coordinator , Trudy Swain , about the Whidbey Telecom staff . “ They come in and teach the kids . One of the technicians stands at each table , walking them through the steps that they are completing at the time .”
Whidbey Telecom also has contributed sophisticated equipment , helping elevate the classroom experience with splicers and other expensive tools of the trade . Other businesses have also donated their time and supplies .
Whidbey Telecom has made a substantial financial investment in loaning its people and equipment to the program , but Gabe Renville , resource planning and development manager , said it ’ s worth it — and necessary to meet upcoming workforce needs .
“ We feel as a company that the whole industry needs to step up if we ’ re going to address this BEAD funding situation ,” Renville said . “ We see what ’ s going to happen with labor shortages . There is not enough workforce . This initiative helps us to take a proactive stance .” meet the instructor
Ted Rodriquez teaches electronics engineering and fiber optics technology at Sno-Isle Tech .
Ted Rodriquez just loves to teach .
In fact , after retiring from a wide-ranging 41-year career as a college instructor , he has now spent more than a decade in a second career at Sno-Isle Technical Skills Center . He teaches mechatronics and a variety of other high-tech classes at the public school .
In one of them , his students start with a block of wood and some electronic components , and form them into a customized electric guitar .
Thanks to his background teaching fiber optic technology in college , he is also the perfect person to work with Whidbey Telecom and other privatesector experts to bring to life the new broadband technician certification program at Sno-Isle Tech .
“ Ted wants to see this be his legacy here ,” said Trudy Swain , the school ’ s partnership coordinator .
Rodriquez , who speaks with a rich accent from his family ’ s ancestral home in León , Spain , gives his age as “ just to the left of 80 ” ( later clarifying that he is 78 ). His excitement grows as he describes the different aspects of fiber optics technology .
A single small board of fiber optic cables assembled by his students would be enough to power an entire office building or subdivision , he said . He tells a group of visitors about the infinitesimal size of the tiny “ core ” at the heart of each fiber optic tube .
Whidbey Telecom COO Donna Hilty and Resource Planning & Development Manager Gabe Renville chat with Sno-Isle Tech Electronics Engineering Technology Instructor Ted Rodriquez during an open house May 28 with the inaugural students in the OpTIC Path Program at Sno-Isle Technical Skills Center . This program is the first of its kind for high school students . ( Photo : Whidbey Telecom )
“ The core will go through the hole in a hypodermic needle and have wiggle room for a couple more and have plenty of space to spare ,” he said . “ We need an electron microscope to actually see the core .”
As Sno-Isle Tech embarks on a new workforce initiative that leads the nation , its lead instructor also clearly has enthusiasm to spare for this innovative program . spring 2024 47