The White House today said it strengthened the nonprofit program aimed at getting veterans and returning service members jobs in the hot wireless telecommunications arena.
"Warriors 4 Wireless," brings together government agencies and private companies such as Cisco, American Tower, Dynis, and PCIA to offer job training and placement services.
According to the White house Office of Technology the government launched a Warriors 4 Wireless pilot program in 2012 and it had an 86% job-placement rate for the more than 50 participating veterans. The action today takes the program nation-wide and bolsters the participating entities.
The Warriors 4 Wireless program is designed to help address the shortage of skilled jobs for returning veterans while satisfying the wireless industry's need for skilled tower-climbers to rapidly, efficiently, and safely deploy wireless equipment and facilities, the White House said.
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Among the new commitments:
n Cisco said through support of the US IT Pipeline, Cisco will continue to work with Futures and other Warriors 4 Wireless partners to provide training and access to high-skilled job opportunities to servicemen and women. Additionally, Cisco will provide support to help enable wireless employers and veteran job applicants conduct virtual interviews from anywhere around the globe.
n Futures, Inc. is providing the "US IT Pipeline" online platform, originally developed for the IT Training and Certification Program launched last April, which will be the centralized hub for matching and connecting service members with civilian training, certifications, and employment opportunities as part of the Warriors 4 Wireless program.
n Dynis has trained and employed more than 50 servicemen and women through the Warriors 4 Wireless pilot program over the past year. Dynis will continue to support an expanded Warriors 4 Wireless program through equipment contributions and curriculum development and by providing training opportunities, training instructors, and funding.
n MasTec is providing training facilities and instructors to support Warriors 4 Wireless, and has committed to connect 1,500-plus expected MasTec job openings in the first half of 2014 to veterans and service members participating in the Warriors 4 Wireless program.
n American Tower Company is partnering with Warriors 4 Wireless to help launch careers in the wireless industry for returning service members. ATC will provide participants access to select assets in the ATC tower portfolio for training and certification and it is working to help connect program graduates with potential employment opportunities at ATC. Additionally, ATC is supporting the design and implementation of the Warriors 4 Wireless Training Program at Aiken Technical College in South Carolina.
n Pricewaterhouse Cooper, T-Mobile, Novation, PCIA, the Wireless Infrastructure Association, CTIA, the Wireless Association, and the Competitive Carriers Association will also provide additional support and financial assistance to the initiative.
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