When Pivot-Tech begins deploying the Confluence Fiber broadband network in the Lewis-Clark Valley, hundreds of construction jobs will be created. Fiber splicers, tower climbers, equipment installers, network operations technicians — all of them needed, most of them in short supply nationally.
The standard approach to this problem is to import a skilled workforce from elsewhere — bring in crews from larger markets, complete the build, and send them home. The local community gets the network but doesn't capture the economic opportunity the construction represents.
Pivot-Tech's approach is different. In partnership with Lewis-Clark State College, we're building the training infrastructure to develop local talent before, during, and after the network buildout — creating a workforce pipeline that serves the region for decades.
Why LCSC Is the Right Partner
Lewis-Clark State College isn't starting from scratch. The $27 million Schweitzer Career & Technical Education Center, which opened in January 2021, was specifically designed as an "open, living textbook" — with exposed infrastructure, hands-on labs, and a philosophy centered on applied technical education. The building itself is a teaching tool.
Critically, LCSC already operates programs with direct synergies to fiber and broadband training: Information Technology, Industrial Electronics, Engineering Technology, Industrial Maintenance, and HVAC-R Technology. The curriculum exists. The instructors exist. The facility exists. What's needed is the industry partnership to focus and expand these capabilities toward telecommunications.
"The Schweitzer CTE Center was built on the public-private partnership model — with Schweitzer Engineering's $3 million founding donation, the largest cash gift in the college's history. We're extending that tradition of industry partnership to address the workforce shortage in telecommunications."— Pivot-Tech Development, Workforce Development Team
The Western States Fiber/Broadband R&D Center
The proposed Western States Fiber/Broadband Research & Development Center at LCSC will establish a dedicated regional hub for workforce training, continuing education, and applied research. The vision is ambitious: to make LCSC the premier fiber and broadband training destination for the Western United States.
Six laboratories are planned, each addressing a distinct segment of the telecommunications workforce:
Planned R&D Laboratories
- 01Fiber Optics Lab — Splicing, testing, OTDR analysis, OSP construction methods. FOA CFOT/CFOS certification testing site.
- 02IoT & Smart Systems Lab — LoRaWAN, CBRS, sensor networks, edge computing, cloud platforms.
- 03Precision Agriculture Lab — GPS/GNSS, agricultural drone operations, variable rate technology, farm connectivity systems.
- 04Micro Data Center Lab — Edge computing deployment, server virtualization, power/cooling systems, cloud management.
- 05Cellular/5G Lab — Small cell, CBRS private LTE, DAS systems, RF testing, tower climbing simulation.
- 06VoIP & Unified Communications Lab — IP-PBX systems, SIP trunking, Microsoft Teams/Zoom Phone, QoS testing.
The Education Pathway: From Boot Camp to Bachelor's
The program is designed as a progression — students can enter at any level and advance as far as their interests and circumstances allow:
Industry Partners Bring Real Equipment and Real Jobs
The program's credibility comes in large part from its industry partnerships. These aren't honorary relationships — each partner contributes tangibly to the training environment:
Industry Partner Contributions
- CienaDonates optical transport platforms and DWDM systems for hands-on lab training. Provides access to Ciena Learning Platform. Curriculum support for Ciena OC-A/P certification (Optical Communications Associate/Professional).
- AeconCommits to minimum 60% local hiring on active Confluence Fiber construction projects. Apprenticeship placement for LCSC program graduates. OSHA safety certification training on active job sites.
- GraybarElectrical and communications distribution partner providing equipment sourcing and supply chain access for the training labs.
- Confluence FiberProvides active network infrastructure as a training environment — students work on real equipment serving real subscribers, not simulations.
"With $42.45 billion in federal BEAD funding flowing into broadband deployment nationally, the demand for trained fiber and broadband technicians is going to be intense for the next decade. We're positioning the Lewis-Clark Valley to export talent, not import it."— Jim Cannon, CEO, Pivot-Tech Development
The Bigger Picture: Economic Development Through Connectivity
The Western States Fiber/Broadband R&D Center represents Pivot-Tech's broader thesis about what broadband deployment should be: not just a construction project, but a community economic development program.
Every major Pivot-Tech project includes a workforce development component structured around the same principles — community college partnership, industry partner involvement, clear pathways from entry-level certification to professional careers. In Genesee County, Michigan, the model is being replicated with Mott Community College and the University of Michigan-Flint. The curriculum differs; the philosophy is the same.
Communities that build their own networks should also train their own technicians to operate them. The talent stays local. The careers stay local. The economic benefit of broadband infrastructure isn't just faster internet — it's the jobs that come with it.