Fybe, COA unveil new fiber-optic tech training course

Fiber broadband company Fybe held an open house at Edenton’s College of The Albemarle Campus on Friday, Feb. 23, to showcase its new training program for certified splicing technicians needed for the growing fiber optic internet and communications industry.

Fybe will sponsor the Fiber OpTIC (Optical Telecom Installation Certification) course, which will teach students the skills they need to work in the growing fiber-optic industry.

The course will meet Tuesday through Thursday starting on March 19 and continuing through May 9 at the COA-Edenton-Chowan campus. Graduates will qualify to take entry-level jobs installing and splicing fiber optic cables and are not obligated to work for Fybe.

From there, technicians in the industry can move into many different fields within the industry, working in installation, at fiber optic hubs, as independent contractors, or installing fiber optic lines which transmit internet and telecommunication data around the world.

Robin Zinsmeister, dean of workforce development, public services and career readiness COA as well as the Edenton-Chowan campus administrator, said the Fiber Broadband Association prepared the Fiber OpTIC curriculum to bring much-needed workers into the industry. The short-term course will provide portable certification to the new fiber-optic technicians, recognizable by employers across the industry.

Fybe Chief Operating Officer Bo Coughlin said graduates from the program will enter an industry that is eager for new technicians.

“It’s like never seen before,” Coughlin said. “If you look at the $1.65 billion that the state of North Carolina got from the federal funding for broadband… you’re going to need fiber splicers and fiber technicians. There is an absolute drought.”

He said there are huge opportunities for fiber-optic technicians beyond the entry level.

“The opportunity to really take those skills and expand beyond your wildest imagination truly exists,” he said. “And the demand, especially today, with all the funding that is coming across the country to do this type of work, is like never before in history.”

Zinsmeister said there are many opportunities for scholarships and grants to cover all or part of the $675 tuition cost for the program. She said students wishing to join the program can speak to counselors at the college by telephone at (252) 335-0821, ext. 2250.