Broadband technical training provider Jones/NCTI kicked off a new program to teach underserved and displaced workers, and inner-city students, at a high school in Denver Tuesday (Jan. 26).
The program is called BOLD, an acronym for Broadband Opportunity Learning Development, and is designed to teach such skills as critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving. The training, free of charge to the recipients, is targeted at helping them land jobs in high-demand careers in cable and broadband.
In launching the BOLD program at Montbello High School in Denver, Jones/NCTI said it is partnering with The Urban League of Metropolitan Denver, Hope Online Learning Academy Co-Op (Hope Online) and TUFF SHED.
Beginning early 2010 , selected students from Montbello will begin taking the Jones/NCTI Installer Qualification Program, the same online course used by major cable television operators and independent contractor agencies nationwide.
Upon completion of each online course, the student will undergo a hands-on assessment using the BOLD Program's official Hands on Training (HOT) House, a scaled version of a typical residence, provided by TUFF SHED. The HOT House provides students with the hands-on training needed to perform broadband installations in a true residential setting.
An industry "tool kit'' has been provided by global communications technology company ARRIS, of Suwanee, Ga., at a reduced rate.
Upon completion of the program, the student is awarded industry recognized certification and college credit. The opportunity for job placement will be determined by the hiring company and community leaders through the outreach and job placement programs provided by Hope Online and The Urban League of Metropolitan Denver.
"Jones/NCTI recognized the critical need in the cable and broadband industry for qualified ‘Triple Play' installers while reducing costly resource recruiting and training activities at the same time," Jones/NCTI president Robyn McVicker said in a release. "Partnering with such outstanding community visionaries as The Urban League, Hope Online and TUFF SHED, Jones/NCTI's BOLD Program will provide the industry with a well-trained, pre-qualified workforce and training opportunities for at-risk students and underserved citizens within their communities that heretofore had not been available."
McVicker said Jones/NCTI is discussing the program with a number of cable operators throughout the country who expressed interest in bringing it to their own communities.
"The Urban League of Metropolitan Denver actively seeks ways to provide and promote employment opportunities in communities most impacted by economic challenges and the BOLD Program aligns harmoniously with that mission," Landri Taylor, CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver, said in the release. "Northeast Denver, where Montbello High School is located, holds some of the highest unemployment and foreclosure statistics in the metro area and is the perfect school in which to initially launch BOLD."
The Jones/NCTI IQ Program is a streamlined method of quickly training and confirming the knowledge and skills of cable and broadband installers. Used by cable operators and contracting agencies, the software program provides a high level of assurance that installers are providing the highest quality customer experience on the first customer visit.
The IQ program consists of three separate courses: Quick Start Installer, High-Speed Data Installation and IP Voice.
