As states begin to receive their allocations from the $42 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment or BEAD program, Florida is leading the way in preparing the workforce needed for new high-speed internet networks. State officials were quick to convene industry stakeholders as part of their broadband planning process last year, and the state’s BEAD proposal has an unusually detailed section on workforce readiness.
Notably, Florida anticipates that a healthy chunk of its $1.1 billion in BEAD funding will be available for so-called “non-deployment” uses that can bolster the state’s broadband deployment projects. Fully $200 million in nondeployment funds is expected to be invested, with Florida explicitly prioritizing workforce development activities.
National Skills Coalition reviewed Florida’s publicly available plans for its broadband initiative and spoke with staff from the Florida Office of Broadband to learn more about their work.
The phrase “broadband jobs” often brings to mind roles like fiber splicers or tower technicians. But Florida officials are also thinking about the occupations that will be needed over the longer term. State officials want to make sure that networks can be maintained after they are built, and so their plan also explicitly emphasizes the role of IT, cybersecurity, and customer service positions for long-term success.
This bigger-picture perspective is unusual among states, and is crucial to ensuring the long-term success of BEAD funding. By thinking holistically from the beginning, Florida is ensuring that its workforce planning takes into account the kinds of roles that will be essential to making sure that broadband is not only installed, but is widely adopted and effectively used.
The state’s BEAD proposal notes also notes that having a skilled workforce “is an important part of the ‘capital stack’ in Florida economic development [for other industries]. For most companies looking to [begin] or expand operations, the number-one factor affecting their ability is access to workforce talent and workforce training.”
By convening industry, education, and workforce partners early in the planning process, Florida was able to get a clear snapshot of the existing landscape (such as in-house training programs offered by a major employer) and identify potential opportunities for expansion (such as replicating an effective apprenticeship model from another industry via a local community college).
But state officials didn’t stop with a single convening. Over the past two years, they’ve held dozens of meetings across the state with more than 500 local stakeholders, and last month hosted a Florida Broadband Summit. The office is maintaining an ongoing connection to stakeholders: There are local technology planning teams for each of Florida’s 60-plus counties, who can serve as boots on the ground throughout the implementation process.
Taking advantage of federal flexibility, the state plans to select its subgrantees for nondeployment funds simultaneously with subgrantee selection for deployment funds, rather than waiting until deployment projects are underway. Florida officials see a direct connection between having enough skilled workers and being able to meet the BEAD deployment mandate for getting high-speed internet to the places that need it most, noting:
[Our] approach of simultaneously selecting subgrantees for workforce-related initiatives will be imperative to expand [internet] coverage to remaining unserved and underserved locations. Without the proposed upskilling opportunities, Florida may encounter workforce shortages that hinder its ability to serve remaining locations.
Among the specific upskilling and reskilling activities the state expects to fund:
Florida plans to braid BEAD funding with other public workforce investments such as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). This funding will go to state and local agencies, academic institutions, and community organizations with a track record of success.
The state anticipates using these other funds to support activities such as broadband apprenticeships: “[T]here are funds through CareerSource Florida and local workforce development boards to subsidize wages up to a year for an apprenticeship program and then expand to on-the-job training to defray some of the employer costs (such as labs and test gear).”
Florida officials have identified three potential populations of workers who may be a fit for broadband jobs, which they describe as:
Conversations with industry partners revealed that traditional word-of-mouth recruitment strategies for entry-level workers into the industry are no longer sufficient. Similarly, the “pay your dues” model by which workers were prepared for higher-level managerial roles is also not yielding sufficient numbers of candidates. This has opened the door to consider alternative approaches to recruitment and advancement, a vital need if the industry is to staff up in time to complete Florida’s ambitious plans.
As states around the country hurry to develop their talent pipelines and put new broadband workers to work, Florida stands out for its bold, holistic, and evidence-informed approach.
