Good Jobs Challenge funding bolsters 5G and broadband workforce development

Ohio’s Broadband and 5G Sector Partnership, which is housed at The Ohio State University and led by the Wireless Infrastructure Association, received $930,000 in funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to start and scale broadband and 5G education and training programs.

The funding is part of a three-year, $23,492,808 grant awarded to the State of Ohio and the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) through the EDA’s $500 million Good Jobs Challenge program. The initiative aims to strengthen workforce partnerships that lead to well-paying jobs. The OMA-State of Ohio proposal is one of 32 grants funded nationwide.

In addition to focusing on skilled manufacturing positions, the OMA-State of Ohio award includes funding to support Ohio’s Broadband and 5G Sector Partnership, based at The Ohio State University and led by the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA). The funding support will focus on costs related to starting and scaling broadband and 5G education and training programs across the state. Regional centers are under development to provide infrastructure training for tasks including fiber optic installation and construction.

In January, Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted launched an initiative to design curriculum for Ohio’s broadband and 5G workforce strategy in an effort to develop a skilled broadband workforce. The Ohio State University was chosen by the State of Ohio to house its Broadband and 5G Sector Partnership. In March, Ohio State College of Engineering leaders announced the competitive selection of WIA as the industry intermediary to lead the partnership.

With faster data speeds, increased device density and ultralow latency, 5G is expected to transform how people and machines communicate, how industries do business and enable “smart” and connected communities. Funding to build the education and training infrastructure for the telecommunications industry will provide Ohio a key competitive advantage.

In recent years, the OMA has helped establish a statewide network of industry sector partnerships (ISPs). Ohio’s ISP network has a collective membership of 1,654 manufacturers, with 120 of those businesses submitting letters of commitment to source new hires from this initiative.