The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), the philanthropic arm of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, published a “Guide to Careers in Rural Telecommunications” booklet to highlight the types of job opportunities within local rural telecommunications companies.
In this unprecedented time for broadband, and with demand for these key positions expected to increase even more, the booklet is a resource for employers and prospective employees to plan for the future. The booklet describes various roles within a telecommunications company and how much education might be required to be a viable candidate for the position. High school and college graduates will find the information helpful as they consider a job with a telecommunications company.
“The rural broadband industry is experiencing a generational moment of opportunity, with record-setting amounts of grants and loans being distributed to providers nationwide,” said FRS Executive Director Pam Becker. “Finding new potential employees is a challenge and we hope this booklet helps provide an idea of the various roles at a rural telecommunications company and prepares both employers and employees for the exciting times ahead.”
In addition to highlighting the various positions that make up a rural telecommunications company, the booklet also offers stories from technicians and chief executive officers (CEOs) about how they got started in the industry. Among those featured are one of the first female line workers, Abbey Middleton, and the CEO of an NTCA member company, Kristi Westbrock.
“Working in telecom has been the best decision of my life,” Westbrock said. “I never left the industry once I started.”
The “Guide to Careers in Rural Telecommunications” booklet is available online. Hard copies are available by contacting FRS.