Jan 15, 2023
By Sasirin Suriyamongkol, Local 103 IBEW member
Our nation’s telecommunications industry faces a talent shortage that poses a threat to our critical infrastructure needs, such as the ability to expand wireless broadband coverage in urban, suburban and rural areas and to build 5G networks, which is expected to create 4.6 million new jobs in the next 15 years.
The answer to this threat? Investing in workers like me.
In 2015, I left my native Thailand for the United States. Back home I’d gone to school for graphic design, but here I was working as an au pair, making just $195.75 for 40 hours a week. Today, my wages plus benefits come to more than $60 per hour as a union apprentice.
Everything changed in 2019 when my husband encouraged me to attend a tradeswomen meeting, where I learned about the Building Pathways program. That’s where I began my journey to becoming a telecom technician apprentice. Being part of the program and part of the union introduced me to a whole new world of opportunities.
