nbn to spend $40m to double construction workforce

In a bid to help speed up the construction process, nbn has revealed plans to double its construction workforce to 9000.

The company will soon commence a $40 million recruitment and training drive seeking to help attract an extra 4500 workers.

To help attract late-stage career workers, such as retired employees of Telstra and other operators, nbn will explore flexible career options for roles including coaching and training new industry entrants.

In addition, nbn will particularly target school leavers as well as workers rolling off other construction jobs. The company said longer-term opportunities will be created as the network reaches the operations and maintenance stage.

“To those with telco experience, there are options to use your skills or become a teacher and coach for the next generation of workers,” nbn CEO Bill Morrow said.

“[For] those thinking about what course or career to pursue, our partners are developing options that will include training and real job opportunities on the NBN over the long term.”

In order to fulfil its recruitment objectives, nbn will sign agreements with training organisations including TAFEs and registered training organisations across every major rollout region in Australia. A national nbn skills register will be created to help record worker accreditations.

Morrow said the increased recruitment is required to support both the project’s transition to a multitechnology deployment model, as well as the rapid rollout plan, which seeks to ensure that eight million homes are connected by 2020.

Internet Australia has commended the NBN’s decision to expand its workforce and engage retired telecom workers to help fast-track the construction of the network.

“We particularly encourage them to create jobs for young people, especially those living in regional and remote areas,” Internet Australia CEO Laurie Patton commented.

“It’s not just the construction phase that requires this additional workforce, there’s also the ongoing maintenance of the system well into the future. Australia needs ubiquitous, fast broadband if we are to develop a digitally enabled future based around the internet and the opportunities it provides to support innovation.”

He also encouraged nbn to include Indigenous Australians in the construction of the network. Patton was a member of an expert panel in 2010 that recommended the establishment of an Indigenous jobs creation program based around the NBN.

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