群交AV

群交AV is the first community college in Virginia approved to offer two new Fiber Optics programs:  Fiber Splicing Specialist and Fiber OTDR (optical time-domain reflectometer) Specialist.

With the addition of these two FastForward courses, the college鈥檚 Workforce Solutions division is now offering three levels of its Fiber Optics workforce training program, which also includes Fiber Optic Installer and Fiber Optic Technician. Fiber optic cables are used to provide high-speed internet, TV and phone services, all of which remain in high demand.

In the Fiber Splicing Specialist course, students will learn the setup, operation, maintenance and reporting aspects of fusion splicing. Through hands-on training, they鈥檒l learn how to use fusion splicing equipment and to prepare and splice single and ribbon fiber and fusion splice connectors. In the Fiber OTDR Specialist course, students will learn best practices when it comes to preparing and testing installed fiber links.

Additionally, Laurel Ridge is offering a Certified Mission Critical Operator (CMCO) course starting Sept. 1. These operators ensure mission-critical facilities, such as data centers, are able to run without interruption through ensuring that power, cooling, networking and safety systems are reliably performing, and quickly responding to any incidents that could affect that performance.

鈥淭hese are very high-level, advanced courses,鈥� said Workforce Solutions Program Manager Sam Brill. 鈥淢ost employers do not have anybody on staff who is skilled at this level, so they have to call in contractors and bring people in, which gets really, really expensive. We鈥檝e heard from employers about their needs, and we鈥檙e meeting those needs. The jobs are everywhere. It can be local if you want to stay local, or you could work for a contracting company and travel, which often appeals to younger workers.鈥�

Evan Manich will be teaching the Fiber Splicing program. He said he has done fiber splicing with Shentel for about eight years.

鈥淚鈥檓 the guy who trains all the fiber splicers, anything that involves working in fiber,鈥� said Manich. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a passion project of mine. I love being able to show new employees, or employees who are trying to come over to fiber, the tricks of the trade. It鈥檚 a fast-growing, stable career path that can see progression. You鈥檙e learning a trade that鈥檚 really become essential to everything that everyone does on a day-to-day basis.鈥�

Daniel Judy, manager of the Middletown Data Center, will be teaching the CMCO class.

鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a foundation class for data center technicians,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t gives you a foundation of what is a mission-critical environment, what does that look like, what do you take care of, what are some of the things that are associated with a facility that is mission critical.鈥�

Judy said he is excited about helping to create a pipeline of skilled technicians.

鈥淟et鈥檚 bring up the skillset that we currently have in the valley, along with the understanding of what actually goes on in mission-critical facilities,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are also other facilities besides data centers that are mission critical, such as emergency rooms.鈥�

Workforce Credential Grant funding will cover two-thirds of FastForward program costs for eligible students. For those who qualify, G3 funding will pick up any remaining tuition costs.

These courses are ideal for someone who is already in the industry and looking to skill up, as well as for someone new to the industry who wants to go through all three levels of the Fiber courses, Brill said. For now, the two new Fiber programs are being offered at the college鈥檚 Fauquier Campus, but will be coming soon to the Middletown Campus. The CMCO course is being offered in Middletown.

Learn more about the programs by calling Workforce Solutions at 540-868-7021.