Workforce development is a crucial part of digital equity

As the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) prepares to release the first tranche of state allocations of broadband funds in 2023, one of the statutory requirements mandates workforce development as an important program outcome, especially in the rebuilding and expanding of national infrastructure. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), includes a historic investment of $42.5 billion toward expanding broadband deployment throughout the U.S. The BEAD program has also implemented a number of requirements that, according to its Workforce Planning Guide, are intended to support the development of an equity-driven telecommunications workforce that offers good jobs and opportunities to workers in America, especially for populations who have been historically underserved by public policy initiatives.