Telecommunications Training has undergone radical changes in the past 5 years. An important yet often overlooked element is how to properly train telecommunication field technicians and network operations personnel. Three primary challenges are:

1) Natural attrition due to aging of the workforce.

2) Managing analog to digital conversion processes.

3) Retaining network stability through the transition.

Digital microwave transition and ever increasing use of fiber optic communications has been a major driver behind network enhancement.  This migration, coupled with natural attrition of the workforce since 1990, has promoted a new approach to the way telecommunication networks are installed and maintained.

Technical training requirements of newly installed digital networks often create roadblocks for the managers and operating supervisors.  A systematic approach designed to enhance the skill level of experienced personnel and train new employees allows managers to improve overall productivity and manage the non-revenue expenses.

Training objectives for managers and operating personnel should include:

• Identify core needs for internal and external technical training programs. 
• Demonstrate creative solutions aimed at providing job enhancement skills for the workforce.
• Establish short term and long term training need.
• Design integrated training programs for Technician Certification and Apprenticeship training.

By following these objectives, Telecommunication Managers will be able to implement training programs customized to specific network requirements and implemented in a cost-effective manner.

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PRIMARY CHALLENGES
Attrition due to aging of the workforce: Attrition is simply the loss of experienced technical personnel often critical to system stability. How does attrition affect system performance and reliability? How can we manage this change in the core workforce? What is the need for workforce strength at say, 10 years? No matter the cause, attrition will help define technical competence and system reliability. Creating long-range training goals is a planning element of the utility backbone.

Managing analog to digital transition: How many of you have faced or are currently facing a large capital analog to digital conversion project? How many are in the middle of such a project?

Most public utility companies are faced with critical decisions concerning how the network will look in years to come. What role has your company taken for preparing the technical folks to maintain the new network? How many of you have been asked to put your Selective Level Meter, away and pick up a Digital Signal Analyzer?

Additionally, 2GHz relocation has changed the landscape over the past few years and played a major role in the definition of utility networks. When coupled with regulatory change and expanding technology innovations, it’s little wonder the need for trained and competent technical personnel has taken on a new flavor. This is a major paradigm change for employees who have long maintained an analog network and are now being asked to maintain digital networks. This creates retraining opportunities for the workforce while generating new confidence expectations from management. Testing procedures established to maintain digital networks are often radically different than previous maintenance practices. Building technical confidence within your organization will pay future dividends and help insure higher levels of system integrity. This can only be accomplished with proper employee training.

Retaining network stability through transition: How will you maintain system stability and reliability while building out a new network? Are your employees ready and equipped to make critical cuts and ensure the system remains in service? Creating on-going training programs designed to integrate technology fundamentals with new equipment purchases will enable your company to stay ahead of the curve.

"Outage" is a feared word in the telecommunication industry. In the utility industry it is also a dangerous word. An outage may put critical facilities and investment at risk. The lack of proper employee training in support of the radio or fiber network becomes a critical financial, legal and safety risk for the company and often the region.

Next, we will identify training methods that work and ways we can provide job training to technical personnel while retaining stability within the network. Four elements have proven successful over time.

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RETAINING SKILLED EMPLOYEES HAS MANY BENEFITS
The goal is to properly train employees in order to retain their services. When the job market is hot, a trained employee becomes a marketable commodity. This same employee also becomes very important to your organization. Even though this is often considered a double edge sword, it can also provide a higher level of competence within your network. Training is quite simply one of the best ways to motivate an employee. Advanced training and technical expertise is also a very popular way of providing job growth opportunities for your employees.

Suggested methods for using training as employee incentives are.

1. Use technical training as a position grade qualification tool.
2. Training is a great entrance benchmark tool.
3. Use advanced technical training for promotion and incentive options within the organization.

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FOCUS ON EMPLOYEES
Focus on employees with extensive analog experience and limited digital experience.

The utility industry is at a critical turning point in the history of telecommunications. Most utilities have experience with analog backbones largely based on microwave radio. The technology is stable and maintenance employees over time have become very comfortable with the system. This type of employee is both a blessing and a curse as you transition into the digital world. For example, you have an employee with perhaps 20 to 25 years of company or industry. This employee is now being required to learn, operate and maintain a newly installed digital network. At first there is fear and confusion because this employee is being asked to step out of a comfort zone.

On closer examination you determine this employee is really well prepared for the new technology because digital is much easier to understand and maintain than analog. The question then becomes how do I get this employee up to speed on the technology and put the right tools into his/her hands, with a high level of confidence that the job will be done?

 There are many methods here are a few examples of success:

1. Purchase training programs from network element vendors.
2. Train employees to train other employees. Make the investment in a few.
3. Purchase turnkey training programs from training organizations.
4. Evaluate internal programs with external training opportunities.

Each objective is important and should be implemented into the overall program. The single most important objective however, is to remember a technician is required to maintain the whole system, which involves many pieces of equipment. The key to success is when a training program has enough depth to address all of the elements. Testing at the network level is perhaps the biggest challenge because it places the employee in the middle of the system where multi-level testing is required. It is critical the employee have the right set of tools to do the job. Proper technical training is one of those tools.

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DESIGN TRAINING PROGRAMS
Design training programs for Technician Certification and Apprenticeship training.

Successful training programs begin with technology fundamentals. When asked, in almost every case a student will request a technology overview at the beginning of any training class. Many network equipment manufacturers do not provide such as overview as it detracts from the theme of equipment training. Acterna, conducts about 150 days a month of training throughout the world. In almost every class the instructor is specifically asked to teach technology (often the core subject of the class) or review fundamental technologies associated with the equipment being used.

For example, we are often asked to customize a class designed as a pre-requisite for a vendor equipment class. This gives the employee big advantages when asked to implement the training into the use of Digital Cross-Connect (DCS) or provision a fiber optic terminal. Digital technologies are very well defined, thus testing procedures and applications are also well defined and can be used as standards across the network.

Applications based training. The next step for program design is teaching how to test at the network level and advanced troubleshooting techniques; the DSX-1 cross-connect panel often defines this part of the network. It interconnects two pieces of equipment into a standard location for testing. Learning how to conduct tests such as bi-directional circuit monitoring, Drop and Insert testing and intrusive end-to-end testing are critical for system stability. Interface into Add/Drop Multiplex equipment (ADM) and connection to SONET rings is also important training for maintenance personnel and is critical if the employee is required to test a T1 into or out of the network.

Complying with local and federal regulations and safety orders. Utilities are very regulation and safety conscious. When planning a comprehensive program working this element into the big picture provides a measure of continuity. This type of training might also include, labor agreements as mentioned previously. There can be training required for operation of standby power plants (for communications) or personal survival skills during bad weather. All of these elements can be included in the training program to round out a core curriculum.

Hands-on Vs theory. It is no secret the best training is hands-on training. Good programs require exercise and evaluation. Adequate time must be allowed for students to conduct tests and gain a through understanding of expected results. If this is part of a formal agreement, it is important to evaluate the student at periodic intervals and determine competency levels. This is also a measurement of success inside of the program; it comes directly back to the bottom line for system stability.

A training program design model must also include a budget. Budget is often divided into capital and operations. Many creative methods can be used to find budget money for training. It can be part of equipment purchases. It can be part of a major capital project; a certain amount of budget can be reserved each year for discretionary training.

Measuring results. Measuring results is perhaps the most critical objective of a complete training program. While it might not be possible to test students and grade their performance in the classroom, it is possible to measure the success of a training program, by comparing pre-training skills against post training skills. There are many creative ways to make this measurement, however, the best way is to simply ask the student what they gained from the training.

The bottom line comes down to improved confidence by the employee for doing the job, and improved system maintenance and reliability measured by the numbers of outages and or trouble tickets. This is perhaps the best measurement with definitive results.

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