We are celebrating the first year of the Peer to Career program, which is a joint partnership with Ottumwa’s Job Corps’ Network Cable Installation program (NCI).
Designed to promote the awareness of the telecom industry, the trainees of the NCI program participate in online meetings every month to hear from a variety of industry experts, which highlight various parts of the industry, such as fiber optic cabling, outside plant work, network troubleshooting, facilities, datacenter cabling, and more.
The partnership kicked off in August 2023 with an introductory discussion between the ICN, Ottumwa Job Corps leadership, and our group of industry experts. After that session, Dan Whelan, NCI instructor expressed, “These networking links inspire their imagination, create mentorship opportunities, and provide direction and support throughout their careers.”
Sessions Begin
Beginning in August 2023, ICN has coordinated monthly sessions where the NCI trainees get an exclusive opportunity to hear from telecom experts and learn the ‘behind the scenes’ in the field. The trainees have broadened their awareness of telecom companies operating in Iowa over the course of the year.
Lindsay Cale, Center Director, Ottumwa Job Corps, recently expressed, “ICN continues to put amazing professions in front of our Ottumwa Job Corps students every month. This partnership continues to lift these students to their highest potential.”
Here are some highlights from our first year:
- Fiberutilities Network Services, located in Cedar Rapids, educated the trainees on the essential training required for a successful career in the network services industry. Their expertise shed light on the various training programs accessible to those pursuing this path, emphasizing the significance of honing soft skills in the workplace.
- RHT Technologies, located in Urbandale, placed an emphasis on the value of technicians and installers working together. They also discussed how to run a small company in Iowa with a close-knit group of employees, emphasizing relationship and team building.
- Panduit discussed the importance of infrastructure in a connected world with the students, emphasizing the career opportunities and innovative products in the field. Later in the year, Panduit provided access to their in-house training to NCI instructor, Dan Whelan, which can be used as a learning tool for classroom instruction.
- Meta gave a virtual tour of their cutting-edge Altoona Data Center. The discussion covered a wide range of topics, including safety protocols, robotics, the value of workplace culture, and the unique challenges posed by Iowa's ever-changing weather conditions on day-to-day operations and installations.
Other professionals are also emphasizing their responsibilities include Microsoft, Lumen, Fortinet, and FirstNet/AT&T. Every speaker offers a different viewpoint on their daily tasks, sharing insights on working in the field, and providing tips on important soft skills required for long-term success. Soft skills mentioned include problem solving, gathering information service tickets, and communicating with their team and customers.
The trainees also have access to cybersecurity resources and job boards where they can begin their search for jobs as they are completing the training.
The success of the Peer to Career program highlights the strong public-private partnership ICN has with the telecom and technology experts. “When the industry works together to help mentor and educate, it’s a win-win for both the trainees and the companies involved,” said Lori Larsen, ICN’s Public Information Officer. “The sessions are about describing the trade. The industry experts make the sessions, giving a glimpse of the daily work and showcasing recent projects,” added Larsen.
It hasn’t been all virtual sessions, the ICN invited the trainees to the Capitol Complex in April 2024, where they were able to tour the Capitol, view reports and mapping at the ICN’s Broadband Information Center, and tour the Lightedge Datacenter in Altoona, Iowa.
We are proud of the partnership and looking forward to the future as we start year number two of introducing more professionals to new student trainees enrolled in the program.