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Pew warns broadband workforce shortfall could slow BEAD implementation
Summary
Lexi West of Pew told the Governor's Task Force on Broadband Access that states face data gaps, retirements and contractor reliance that will complicate meeting BEAD timelines; members pressed the need for state funding, apprenticeships and targeted partnerships.
Lexi West, a research officer at the Pew Charitable Trusts, told the Governor's Task Force on Broadband Access on Jan. 21 that states face both short‑term and long‑term broadband workforce challenges that could complicate timely BEAD builds.
West said federal data and job‑classification gaps make it hard to estimate supply, noting the sector has shifted toward contractors and subcontractors and that union representation has fallen "from about 26% in 2000 to just 11% in 2024." She emphasized that technician roles and construction crews are likely to be in greatest near‑term demand while demographic retirement trends create long‑term replacement needs.
"We're seeing a historic trend towards employment of contractors and subcontractors in this space, which makes tracking these numbers a little bit challenging," West said, describing evidence that states will need to plan for a wide range of roles, from fiber technicians to surveyors and trenching crews.
Why it matters: Wisconsin has an approved BEAD proposal and is preparing subaward agreements and NEPA reviews; West warned that workforce shortfalls and shifting federal guidance — including changes that reduced workforce requirements in BEAD restructuring — raise the risk that projects could be delayed or face higher cost pressure unless states and industry step in.
Task force members asked whether federal policy still encourages prevailing wages and apprenticeships. West said many BEAD workforce provisions were pared back in last summer's restructuring guidance but that apprenticeships maintain bipartisan interest and can improve retention and career mobility. She pointed to registered apprenticeship programs and credentials such as the Broadband Association's Optic Path as promising models.
"A lot of these initiatives take months to years to stand up," West said, noting timing mismatches between graduating trainees and the staggered start dates of BEAD projects. She recommended place‑based training, using existing community college programs where possible, and cross‑certification (for example, adding broadband modules to electrician training) to make the pipeline more sustainable.
Members proposed state responses including tax incentives for apprenticeships, using state workforce grants to fund training, and repurposing existing education programs. Sal Kranza raised concerns about telemedicine payments for Medicare patients — a separate issue noted earlier in the meeting — arguing that even with equipment grants, patients might not access services if payers limit reimbursement.
The task force did not take formal votes. West and other presenters said additional federal guidance on non‑deployment funds is expected March 11, and the PSC said it anticipates the formal Notice of Award from NTIA/NIST in the coming days or weeks.
The task force scheduled follow‑up breakout sessions to convert these ideas into recommended actions and partner lists for the governor's June report.
