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Private companies are now pitching AI solutions as a way to help solve the telecom industry’s persistent labor issues.
By Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
The Fiber Broadband Association has previously estimated that government funding opportunities from BEAD will create nearly 150,000 telecom jobs in the United States.
While BEAD has been revised since that prediction was issued in 2023, companies like HNM Systems are still attempting to help meet the industry’s labor needs with novel approaches.
“For network builders, the stakes are high,” said Heather Moyer, who serves as the CEO of HNM Systems. “Hiring gaps directly correlate with missed milestones.”
Moyer, in comments provided to Broadband Communities, argued the industry faces a talent crisis.
To address it, she said the telecom industry needs to identify talent early and match candidates to the right environments.
A new platform developed by Moyer’s company seeks to do exactly that, by utilizing an AI-driven approach.
“RecruitCode was built to meet this moment,” she said. “It moves hiring decisions upstream, not reacting to gaps, but proactively building teams that are ready to deliver.”
Labor issues remain persistent
Meanwhile, as companies like HNM Systems maneuver to offer their own solutions, the continuing labor issues of the telecommunications industry have remained persistent.
Analysis by Fierce Network back in April found that among the eight largest wireless and wireline operators in the U.S., the number of employees shrank at all but two organizations between 2023 and 2024.
Beyond private companies, industry associations like the Fiber Broadband Administration (FBA) are continuing in their efforts to address labor gaps.
Notably, the FBA has sought to bolster the industry’s workforce numbers with OpTIC Path, a course “designed using a building block format so that novices to the technology can follow it easily,” according to the FBA’s website.
Deborah Kish, VP of workforce development and research for the FBA, explained the need for programs like the OpTIC Path in a 2024 piece, submitted to BBCMag.com.
“Closing the telecommunication workforce gap will not happen overnight, especially considering the age of the current workforce,” Kish wrote. “It requires reaching beyond the existing pool of candidates and building a sustainable pipeline within our K-12 schools that will provide new workers for the years to come.”
