Youngstown State University has been awarded $1.15 million by the Appalachian Regional Commission to implement broadband and 5G readiness training across eastern Ohio.
The award to YSU’s Division of Workforce Education and Innovation will allow 165 people in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Ashtabula, Jefferson and Belmont counties to earn 375 credentials for careers in broadband and 5G, said Jennifer Oddo, executive director of the division.
“The deployment of 5G is expected to create approximately 32,000 jobs in network infrastructure over the next several years,” Oddo said. “This funding allows YSU to continue its leadership in ensuring that we develop the trained workforce to respond to those demands.”
The funding is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s $47 million POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative. In all, the program is supporting 52 projects in nine states in this latest round of funding.
Oddo said YSU has developed a comprehensive and inclusive plan to increase the broadband/5G workforce through increased industry awareness and outreach and through industry-recognized credentials, training, education and career pathways.
“YSU will provide hybrid training and will implement plug-and-play, non-degree curriculum models to ensure the investment in broadband expansion is backed by a skilled workforce capable of connecting urban and rural areas with this critical utility,” she said.
Oddo said YSU has an externally facing Learning Management System (Skills Accelerator) in place to quickly begin curriculum deployment and will utilize regional partnerships to ensure the broadband and 5G curriculum and programming is offered to job-seekers region wide.
Among partners providing additional support for the project is Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), Ashtabula County Career and Technical Center, Eastern Gateway Community College, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, The Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association and The Workforce Boards from Ohio WIOA Areas 19, 18, 17 and 16.T.
ARC’s POWER Initiative directs federal resources to economic diversification projects in Appalachian communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations and coal-related supply chain industries. With this latest funding package, ARC has now invested nearly $366.6 million in 447 projects impacting 360 coal-impacted counties since POWER was established in 2015.
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