OSU Institute of Technology's Division of Workforce & Economic Development (WFED) is meeting an industry demand through a new Tower Technician Certificate Program in partnership with Texoma Contracting, Inc.
The first cohort will begin Feb. 1 and run for six weeks. The non-credit, two-part program will take place mainly on the OSUIT campus in Okmulgee with some specialty courses, such as Tower Rescue, at Texoma Contracting in Muskogee.
“Texoma Contracting contacted us in response to our outreach through the Industrial & Aviation Technologies Training Center (IATTC),” said Na-komas Blackford, workforce training coordinator at OSUIT. “They expressed a critical need in their industry for telecommunications technicians and said that there was not currently a training program for this. The IATTC grant staff worked with them to develop a training program to fit their needs.”
Successful completion of the program will enable students to enter the telecommunications field at an entry-level position with the beginning certifications required to advance in the industry.
Each student will take 12 courses. The following are the core certificates for Tower Technician I:
- Introduction of the telecommunications tower industry
- Introduction to tower safety/fall prevention class
- Climber/rescue certifications
- CPR/First Aid
- OSHA 10-HR Construction Safety & Health
- RF awareness course to meet OSHA requirements
- Introduction of electrical safety
- Principals of Rigging I and signalperson
- Capstan hoist training
- Defensive driver training program
- NWSA TTT1 certification preparation class
- Summary, review and testing
OSUIT's Industrial & Aviation Technologies Training Center is made possible by an extension of a multiphase Department of Defense (DoD) grant that was originally awarded to OSUIT’s Division of Workforce & Economic Development in 2014. The training center focuses on 11 technologies fundamental to DoD contractors and subcontractors, aeronautics manufacturers and general industry
The Tower Technician certificate program is open to anyone wanting to train in the telecommunications field. Interested participants may enroll at https://admissions.osuit.edu/register/towertechnician1.
The program is offered at no cost to participants who are eligible for state funding through OK Works, Oklahoma's workforce development initiative, which will pay the registration costs and provide students with the necessary training equipment.
“OSUIT WFED is committed to serving the needs of Oklahoma,” said Blackford. “This program opens doors to an industry that is growing by leaps and bounds and that OSUIT has not previously served.”
Once completed, and dependent on demand, there is a possibility of a Telecommunications Tower Technician II offered at OSUIT.
The program is a collaboration among not only OSUIT and Texoma, but also NATE United, Safety LMS and the Eastern Workforce Board.
For more information or to enroll, visit https://admissions.osuit.edu/register/towertechnician1