The ABCs of Closing the Skills Gap: 3 Lessons That Can Help You Attract, Train, and Retain the Right Talent in Your Organization

The skills and training gap remains one of the most urgent issues in the industry today, especially in light of massive federal investments in broadband. 86% of telecoms executives cite labor availability as our industry’s top challenge and this deficit will only grow as BEAD funding kicks in.  

Today’s workforce is aging so we must act quickly to consolidate knowledge and attract, train, and retain new talent. And the rapid expansion of fiber means that the entire industry will need to act fast to consolidate the knowledge to make this happen.

But we must also adapt training methods to changing learning styles. Attention spans are shorter and future designers, installers, and technicians will expect engaging, interactive, and innovative training on-demand.

New entrants will need training on more aspects of communications networks than any one organization can provide. We must collaborate and share knowledge to provide impactful education tailored to each learner. This means:

1. Partnering across the industry to develop, host, and share training in places where learners are already accessing
2. Meeting learners online and segmenting the curriculum for modern attention spans
3. Incorporating gamification, interactivity, assessments, and adaptive learning to maintain engagement

How does better, more engaging, more accessible training benefit you?

We all know that workers need to be trained well to do the job right. But investing in better training not only ensures work is done with a high standard of quality, it also saves you money and – perhaps most important – it helps you attract and retain the talent you need to meet the BEAD moment and beyond.

With intense competition among both contractors and operators for the same pool of workers, the pressure is even greater to provide the right training to help you attract and keep a highly skilled workforce today and ensure the next generation is ready when they’re needed. Here are three lessons that can help you and your workforce and align with changing learning needs:

Lesson One: Accessible online learning is a non-negotiable

A constant among the learners of today and the next generation is that they expect more than a traditional lecture hall experience. With multiple responsibilities and rapid technological advancements across the industry, learners need training content they can access on the go to stay up to speed.

Where in the past, a slide deck or pre-recorded video might have sufficed, workers now look online and mobile first to catch up with the latest advancements in technology. Engaging, interactive, innovative content at the touch of a button -- whenever and wherever they need it -- will mean that future workers will be armed with the latest knowledge to get the job done right.

Lesson Two: Pace learning to meet learners where they are and get them up to speed fast

The workforce of the next generation also expects their learning experience to be just as accessible and engaging as their entertainment experiences. Training must be bite-sized to give learners the “just-in-time” education they need to start the job today, with options to certify as they progress in the field. Gamifying learning also awards people as they go, which makes getting up to speed digestible and engaging. 

Lesson Three: Collaboration means everyone wins

With the need for training greater than any specialized organization can provide, partnerships are the only way forward. While each of us knows our “lanes” in depth, to build the “highway” for the next generation of learners, everyone will need to share their knowledge and make it available where learners are already accessing training.

And with the recent influx of federal funding, there’s even more pressure on all of us to ensure the job gets done right. Stakeholders across the industry – manufacturers, contractors, network designers, and more -- can contribute their unique expertise to ensure everyone gets the training they need, which benefits us all.