Catholic Charities of Buffalo Workforce and Education Services, in conjunction with the Buffalo & Erie County Workforce Investment Board and C-Tech, is offering a four-week training beginning Sept. 8 titled “Hands-On Technology Training: Short-term Training for Long-term Careers.”
The training will give students a foundation in telecommunications, network cabling, copper and fiber optics, 5G systems, and grounding and bonding. Students who complete the training will receive five nationally recognized C-Tech credentials.
“C-Tech Training programs are addressing the current skilled labor gap in broadband technology related fields,” said David L. Brady, vice president of C-Tech Training. “Wireless Infrastructure is expanding to 5G, which means three million new American jobs. These jobs cannot be outsourced. Through our partnership with Catholic Charities and Workforce Buffalo, we are eager to place skilled workers into meaningful life changing careers.”
Classes will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at Catholic Charities’ Workforce and Education site, 1001 East Delavan Ave., Buffalo. Classes begin Tuesday, Sept. 8. Social distancing and safety guidelines will be followed.
“We are so thankful for C-Tech and their willingness to come to Buffalo, and for our long-standing partnership with the Buffalo & Erie County Workforce Investment Board,” said Jeffrey Conrad, director of Catholic Charities Workforce and Education Services. “This is a unique collaboration that will assist people in our community to connect with employment opportunities where they are needed most.”
Conrad added, “During the pandemic, a glaring educational need in our community has been access to high speed internet, and it is clear that we need substantial improvements to our infrastructure. We will need a workforce to support such an effort, and trainings like this help make that possible.”
In addition to the training, Catholic Charities will assist with case management and employment services, including job placement assistance within the telecommunications industry.
Full tuition assistance is available for unemployed and dislocated workers.
Geoff Szymanski, executive director of the Buffalo and Erie County Workforce Investment Board, said, “Workforce Buffalo is proud to partner with Catholic Charities and C-Tech to introduce progressive trainings in Digital Communication and Technology. Our upcoming trainings introduce job seekers to valuable hands-on skills and real-life work experiences for high demand careers in telecommunications and broadband connectivity. This collaboration speaks to our ongoing commitment to identifying and addressing workforce trainings that meet the needs of our local economy.”
Spots will be limited in order to meet social distancing and safety guidelines. To register, please contact Minesh Patel, Buffalo & Erie County Workforce Development Consortium, Inc., at (716) 819-9845, ext. 1430 or mpatel@wdcinc.org.
