Broadband & 5G Sector Partnership

The transformative impact of 5G is increasingly apparent worldwide. However, many citizens have limited access to high-speed internet, of which the State of Ohio is a primary example. The race to 5G has become a matter of national competitiveness and economic security for the United States, and although the wireless industry is poised to make major investments in building out the 5G network, a lack of a skilled workforce is limiting such efforts. During the Coronavirus pandemic, the country experienced firsthand the disparities of digital access for students, causing academic disruption. As a response, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) made available the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) through the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education. Ohio was one recipient of this funding. In utilization of the GEER funding, The Ohio Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation (OWT) sought to address this comprehensive workforce demand to bring digital access to all Ohioans. Thus, a 5G and Broadband Connectivity Center was established at The Ohio State University (OSU) and an Industry Sector Partnership (ISP) was formed and led by the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA). Ohio’s broadband and 5G workforce initiative aims to address the workforce shortage within the broadband and 5G industry. In response to this challenge, an ISP was formed with key stakeholders including state agencies, telecommunication companies, industry associations, non-profit organizations, career-technical education providers, and public and private colleges and universities across the state. The ISP organized their efforts within three primary pillars of work: career awareness, education, and training, and raising awareness of funding programs to reduce and/or eliminate costs for Ohioans to access relevant education and training. The Ohio Education Research Center (OERC) team at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs supports the Sector Partnership with its overall workforce data collection and analytics needs, as well as evaluation and impact research. This work combines program level data with available statewide and region level labor market research, including surveys, direct employer engagement, and workforce data analytics, to monitor the impact of this initiative on workforce trends. Results provide insights regarding changes in the available talent for critical occupations and skill sets that are most in demand among sector employers. OERC senior researchers provide leadership for the Data Analytics & Evaluation Working Group, collaborating with a team of experts that convene regularly to refine goals, plan, and implement proposed sector partnership activities related to data collection, evaluation, and data analytics. These efforts provide stakeholders with actionable, timely research to inform evidence-based decision-making. Sustaining Good Jobs Challenge Grant funding from the Ohio Manufacturer's Association/ U.S. Economic Development Administration, and the Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy and Training (QUEST) Grant from the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services/U.S. Department of Labor, have supported major expansion of the statewide Sector Partnership to include regional Node industry sector partnerships (ISPs) in each of the six JobsOhio regions. With about $800 million in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program funding expected to arrive in Ohio in 2024, the Sector Partnership has been working to ensure that the state's workforce development system is well positioned to meet the rapidly growing broadband & 5G employer demand for skilled workers.