The Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) and the National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) are teaming up to promote skills development for telecommunications tower workers.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by both organizations, the agreement will involve communication, coordination, and sharing of technical information between NWSA and TIRAP to ensure job position descriptions and requirements are consistent among the same positions.
"TIRAP and NWSA agree to work together toward the goal of developing one aligned body of knowledge with common titling based on input and coordination between both groups," according to the MOU.
Scott Kisting, senior vice president at Sabre/Muti Tower Service and chairman of the TIRAP Board of Directors, hopes the agreement will means TIRAP and NWSA will complement and enhance each other.
"It is my hope that our industry will use this as a means to recognize the efforts of so many to pass knowledge of the standards and the safety requirements on to our new and existing workers. Through consistency, we will help ensure that safe and quality installs are improved on each site by working with NWSA to allow for a uniform titling of positions," Kisting said in a statement.
Jim Tracy, CEO of Legacy Telecommunications Inc. and chairman of the NWSA Board of Directors, added that his organization is looking forward to creating a "single uniform set of standards."
TIRAP is a fairly recent public-private partnership between wireless infrastructure companies, industry associations, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the FCC, formed to develop apprenticeship programs and improve workplace quality, safety, and address industry workforce needs. NWSA is a non-profit organization that provides national, ANSI accredited assessments to validate the training of communication tower workers.
For more:
- see this TIRAP press release
- read this Inside Towers article
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