NBN calls for ‘experienced technicians’ to help with Tassie rollout

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news The NBN company has called for experienced telecoms technicians and workers to assist the network rollout in Tasmania during 2016 and beyond.

In a statement, the NBN company said experienced workers are needed immediately to assist with the rollout, and to train and mentor less experienced telecommunications workers for the future.

In particular, telecommunications technicians, fibre splicers, linesworkers and copper cable jointers are required, it added.

To attract the required skilled labour force, NBN has launched what it calls the ‘Experienced Workers‘ campaign – one of several campaigns aimed at attracting around 150 additional workers into the network rollout in Tasmania, and an additional 4,500 workers nationally.

Russell Kelly, NBN Corporate Affairs Manager Tasmania, said the rollout in Tasmania is creating opportunities for experienced workers to re-enter the industry and use their skills to help build and maintain the network.

“The NBN network rollout in Tasmania has had its best year ever – in 2015 we grew the footprint by 79% and doubled the number of premises that were activated,” he said. “As at 31 December 2015, over 116,000 Tasmanian premises can connect to the NBN network, with over 54,000 having chosen to do so.

He added that the NBN is about 45% through the rollout and is about to “hit a surge of new activity.

“This year, with the rollout of fibre-to-the-node technology that uses the existing copper network to help deliver fast broadband, we especially need workers experienced in copper technology,” explained Kelly. “We also recognise that a significant proportion of the telecommunications workforce may retire in the next five years – so it’s important we’re training a new generation.”

Mr Kelly said the campaign would link experienced workers with NBN’s delivery partners and subcontractors with work to begin as soon as possible.

Once the NBN network construction is completed, long-term opportunities will exist as the network moves into ongoing operations and maintenance, the NBN said.

The Experienced Worker campaign is part of the NBN’s $40 million Industry Workforce Development Program aimed at developing the employment and training of an additional 4,500 workers to construct, operate and maintain the national network.

The program also aims to develop and maintain a sustainable and competent workforce through the deployment of ‘enAble‘ – the NBN’s online accreditation, training, and assessment portal.

That initiative follows a successful Career Start campaign, the NBN said, which attracted over 1500 expressions of interest from less experienced and younger people nationwide to “kickstart” their careers in the telecoms industry.

Image credit: NBN company

17 COMMENTS

  1. “Once the NBN network construction is completed, long-term opportunities will exist as the network moves into ongoing operations and maintenance, the NBN said.”

    Oh yes, fixing that Telstra copper is going to be the bane of your existence and cost us billions.

  2. Now if we can just look for some COBOL programmers to get the NBN provisioning systems we’ll really have this fancy new Internet thingy running!

    NBN. The only company in IT where being in your 50’s is considered too young for working with their tech.

    • I’m in my 50s, but I did build a few acoustic couple modems back in the 70s, or is that too high tech for them?

      • 70’s modems? Don’t tell NBN that, they may ask if you have any left so they can put them in the nodes.

      • “is that too high tech for them?”

        Woah, step it down there a bit! We all know people only want acoustic couplers to stream their naughty ASCII pics faster. No need for anything faster than some good old telegraph!

      • ..-. .- .-. / – — — / .- -.. …- .- -. -.-. . -.. / ..-. — .-. / -. -… -.

  3. How on earth can the Tasmanian NBN rollout still not be complete? They started in 2010! I know it is sacrilege to say anything negative about Labor’s NBN, and I’m in no way condoning the Liberal’s copper magic fiasco, but FFS did Labor balls up the roll out. I’ll say again, they should have started in the capital cities and worked their way out. Raaaaaar!!!

    • @bt they did get their CPP down from $7k to $5k (ex lease costs). Truely unbelievable; time and cost.

    • Probably something to do with reworking the previous contracts that were all FTTP for Tasmania to work in FTTN.

    • When the Coalition got in no further FTTH contracts were started and those already signed renegotiated as FTTN contracts. How after 2 years they are looking to start the FTTN rollout. It would likely have already finished if they let the FTTH rollout continue. Stopping it left contractors millions in the hole for equipment they’d bought. Didn’t you see the reports on all the protests about lack of work, the march on Canberra asking for recompense did to promised work not delivered?
      Oh, that’s right, the MSM doesn’t cover the negative impacts of the MTM.

      • And all that after a “hand on heart” promise from the Libs that they’d fully FttP Tas. If they’d stuck to their promise, they’d be finished there now…

  4. Must be a a less than 12 month tenure…

    Well after all, all Aussies will have all we’ll ever need from MTM, by the end of 2016?

    ;)

  5. If NBN wants technicians them employ them directly!!!!
    But they don’t want to do that… They want to contract it all out, yet expect a job to be completed…
    I myself being burnt by the telecoms industry, I will never be returning the industry.
    Telecoms in Australia no matter who it’s for is just one big race to the bottom, cheapest dominator gets the work, no one wants their own workforce anymore.
    I hope NBNco falls on its face big time, I have little sympathy for NBNco as they employed people based on their university degree and visa status over real world australian telco industry experience and qualifications.

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