Connecticut’s #1 Natural Resource: Workers
Recruiting and retaining qualified employees is challenging for every business and has become increasingly difficult in today’s economic environment.
The broadband industry needs dedicated workers to build the digital infrastructure to connect everyone to high speed internet. Achieving the vision of universal broadband depends on successfully recruiting and retaining employees willing to do hard work.
Recently, Broadband Communities Magazine invited Sertex founder and CEO Mike Solitro to participate in a panel on the topic at their national Broadband Summit in Houston, Texas. Recognized as a Broadband Communities Top 100 Company, Mike has led Sertex in deploying 37 community anchor institution networks in Connecticut; 17 fiber-to-the-home networks in western Massachusetts; a municipally-owned, universal fiber network on Block Island; and will soon start building fiber networks in 24 towns in southern Vermont.
Careers in Telecom Construction
Careers in telecommunications offer job security and a long-term future. Higher education is not required; training is often done in-house, and once trained, workers can build their skill sets for a lifetime. Compensation packages are highly competitive, including salaries, benefits, and opportunities for advancement.
Sertex is dedicated to promoting career opportunities in telecom construction by recruiting and retaining qualified employees. Everyone in our senior management team started in the field and knows the challenges and rewards of the work we do.
Employees are Sertex brand ambassadors. As our representatives in the communities we serve, Sertex employees interact directly with municipal representatives, members of the community, and network subscribers in their homes and via phone and email. They act professionally, safely, and courteously at all times.
Employees work independently and as a part of a tight-knit team. Working in telecom construction can mean being deployed many miles away for four to five-day stretches, sometimes in the mountains and sometimes miles offshore. For the past two years, our crews lived on Block Island in two-week shifts, a community of 1,000 year-round residents. Everyone knew the Sertex crews and they became part of the local community. Our ideal candidates embrace the freedom and responsibility of working outside and overcoming obstacles to completing the job well.
So how can municipalities and the state help ensure that telecom companies like Sertex have the workers they need now and into the future?
- Spread the word about career opportunities in telecom construction. We’re always looking for people to join our team of fiber optic experts.
- Talk to families about exploring telecom as a career path for after high school. Job opportunities include linemen, technicians, skilled laborers, and service installers.
- Talk to state leadership about establishing and funding training programs through community colleges and technical schools.
Connecticut has many opportunities for successful, lifelong careers with competitive pay and advancement opportunities in telecom construction. Please help us get the word out to people searching for a job or a career change.