Telecommunications Project Overview

Cluster Definition:
According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), telecommunications refers to “any transmission, emission, or reception of signs, signals, writing, images, and sounds or intelligence [information] of any nature by wire, radio, optical [visual], or other electromagnetic systems.”  Telecommunications includes satellite communications (wireless but not cellular), cellular wireless (including infrastructure, phones, and PDA – personal digital assistant – chips), land lines (cable), communications equipment (radio and TV), and Internet networks.

The wireless industry focuses on those devices and services that are not land-based, such as satellite services/carriers/operators; mobile communications, pagers, and cellular; and personal communications systems and handheld objects/components.

Project Mission & Goals:
Bringing employers and educators together to develop tools and strategies for better matching local educational programs with the needs of local businesses.  The alignment of education and training with industry needs will, 1. Create an economic “think tank” that addresses the telecommunications related workforce issues in the San Diego Region; and 2. Create a streamlined process that assists employees in determining the skills and training they must obtain to advance within the Telecommunications Industry once it begins to expand and companies begin to hire. 

Project Definition:
Most workforce-related education and training programs have industry advisory groups to ensure that programs and courses provide students with the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed on the job. While this has been invaluable, both for industry and education, this proliferation of advisory committees stretches industry leaders thin.  Our proposal is to create an online matrix that addresses telecommunications related workforce issues.  By creating this dynamic matrix, job seekers, educational institutions, and companies will have one resource that integrates job titles, skills, curricula, schools, and corporations.

Key Industry Issues:
· Regional labor shortages in the industry that mirror national trends.
· Insufficient education and training strategies for meeting current    
  workforce needs.
· Limited data collection strategies for meeting current and future
  workforce needs.
· Few communication strategies for building ongoing linkages between
  industry and education.
· Wall Street Journal projections that the Telecommunications Industry
  recovery will take longer than expected (WSJ, 10/9/03).

Key Benefits:
Providing integration for a “quality” and educated workforce and business community that shares the key components to advancing economic competitiveness in the telecommunications industry both regionally and globally.

Benefits to education include:
1. A better integration of employment and soft-skills training in the basic education and technical certification programs.
2. A better industry-wide process to collect and share job codes, training programs, certifications, and information on industry trends.

Benefits to industry include:
1. A shared review of curricula to ensure that it accurately captures industry needs.
2. A proactive ability to communicate skill needs and requirements for all positions.
3. A shared (“level”) industry-wide playing field for specific job skills, and occupational definitions.

Benefits to job seekers and workers include:
1. An ongoing, real-time, comprehensive and shared list of industry & education endorsed training programs.
2. An industry-wide, shared, occupational job skills list that can be used for the applications, interviews and hiring process.

Project Team:

Facilitator:    Brandi Turner, San Diego Workforce Partnership
Labor Market Research: Terri Bergman, San Diego Workforce Partnership

Team Members:  

From Colleges and Universities
1. Ms. Cassie Morton, Dean of San Diego City Schools
2. Mr. Ted Chandler, CIS Instructor at Cuyamaca College
3. Mr. Don Martin, Assoc Dean at San Diego State University
4. Dr. Madelaine Wolfe, Dean of Instruction at Cuyamaca College
5. Ms. Catherine Brouillard, Grossmont Community College
    

From Area Businesses and Agencies
1. Ms Alean Kirnak, President of Software Partners LLC
2. Mr. Robin Bisarya, Business Owner, Ezeelink
3. Mr. Kirk Youngdale, Sales Manager, BCS Global
4. Mr. Jacob Sapochnick, Partner at FINDJOBSUSA
5. Ms. Julia Wilson, Exec. Director at San Diego Telecom Council
6. Mr. Cees (Case) Molenaar, Marketing Director at JOBSUMMIT.COM
7. Ms. Tyler Orion, President/CEO of RTA: San Diego
8. Ms. Cecile Bereal, President/CEO of RMA Management Alliance
9. Mr. Ed Hidalgo, Division Manager at MANPOWER –Telecom
10. Ms. Cheryl Mason, Employment Development Department

In partnership with