Federal Communications Commission	DA 21-1545



DA 21-1545
Released:  December 10, 2021

FCC SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP ON THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP 
Nominations due: December 20, 2021

By this Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) seeks nominations for membership on the Telecommunications Interagency Working Group (“Working Group”), a group that is being formed pursuant to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act “to develop recommendations to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry.” Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Pub. L. 117-58, § 60602(a), 135 Stat. 429 (Nov. 15, 2021) (to be codified at 47 U.S.C. § 344) (“Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act”).
  Section 60602 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act directs the Chairwoman of the Commission, in partnership with the Secretary of Labor, to establish this interagency working group by January 14, 2022. The Working Group shall be considered established on the date on which a majority of the members have been appointed.  Id.
  The Working Group must prepare a report with “recommendations to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry, including the safety of that workforce” not later than one year after the Working Group is established. Id.

Nominations for membership in the Working Group should be submitted to the FCC no later than December 20, 2021.  Note:  these procedures only apply to the four members of the Working Group from outside organizations that will be appointed by the Chairwoman.  Procedures for submitting nominations are set forth below.
WHO MAY APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP
Pursuant to section 60602(a) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Chairwoman will select four members of the Working Group from outside organizations. Id.
  Accordingly, the Commission seeks nominations and expressions of interest from individuals and organizations in the following categories:

· A representative of a telecommunications industry association;

· A representative of an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization;

· A representative of a rural telecommunications carrier; and

· A representative of a telecommunications contractor firm. Id.


In addition to one member from each of the above-mentioned categories, the Working Group will be comprised of the following membership selected from individuals or organizations: (i) a representative of a registered apprenticeship program in construction or maintenance, appointed by the Secretary of Labor; (ii) a public interest advocate for tower climber safety, appointed by the Secretary of Labor; (iii) a representative of a labor organization representing the telecommunications workforce, appointed by the Secretary of Labor; and (iv) a representative of an institution of higher education, appointed by the Secretary of Education. Id.
  The membership will also be comprised of the following federal agency representatives: (i) a representative of the Commission, appointed by the Chairwoman; (ii) a representative of the Directorate of Construction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, appointed by the Secretary of Labor; (iii) a representative of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, appointed by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information; and (iv) a representative of the Department of Education, appointed by the Secretary of Education. Id.

DUTIES
Section 60602(a) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act charges the Telecommunications Interagency Working Group with developing a report with recommendations that will:
“(1) determine whether, and if so how, any Federal laws, regulations, guidance, policies, or practices, or any budgetary constraints, may be amended to strengthen the ability of institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) or for-profit businesses to establish, adopt, or expand programs intended to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry, including the workforce needed to build and maintain the 5G wireless infrastructure necessary to support 5G wireless technology;
“(2) identify potential policies and programs that could encourage and improve coordination among Federal agencies, between Federal agencies and States, and among States, on telecommunications workforce needs;
“(3) identify ways in which existing Federal programs, including programs that help facilitate the employment of veterans and military personnel transitioning into civilian life, could be leveraged to help address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry;
“(4) identify ways to improve recruitment in workforce development programs in the telecommunications industry;
“(5) identify Federal incentives that could be provided to institutions of higher education, for-profit businesses, State workforce development boards established under section 101 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111), or other relevant stakeholders to establish or adopt new programs, expand current programs, or partner with registered apprenticeship programs, to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry, including such needs in rural areas;
“(6) identify ways to improve the safety of telecommunications workers, including tower climbers; and
“(7) identify ways that trends in wages, benefits, and working conditions in the telecommunications industry impact recruitment of employees in the sector.” Id.

OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS AND WORKING GROUP MEETINGS
Members must be willing to commit to serving on the Working Group for one year.  While the chair and a vice chair, which the Working Group will name, will be responsible for organizing the business of the Working Group, the time commitment for participation in the Working Group or any subgroup, if established, may be substantial.  However, meetings may be conducted informally, using suitable technology to facilitate the meetings.   
APPLICATION PROCEDURE, DEADLINE, AND MEMBER APPOINTMENTS
Nominations for the four members of the Working Group to be selected by the Chairwoman from outside organizations should be received no later than December 20, 2021.  No specific nomination form is required; however, each nomination must include the following information: 

· Name, title, and organization of the nominee and a description of the organization, sector, or other interest the nominee will represent;

· Nominee’s mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number;

· A statement summarizing the nominee’s qualifications and reasons why the nominee should be appointed to the Working Group; and

· A statement, if the nominee will represent a specific organization, describing the organization as well as the benefit of having the organization represented on the Working Group.

In addition, for applicants seeking to represent an organization or company, the application must also include the following:
(1) The applicant’s nomination to the Working Group must be confirmed by an authorized person (e.g., organization or company official) that such organization or company wants the nominated person to represent it on the Working Group.  For example, this confirmation may be in the following format: “I am [insert official’s name], the [insert official’s title] at the [insert name of organization - e.g., company, government entity, trade association, etc.], with responsibilities for [concise description of position].  My organization would like [insert proposed member’s name], who is currently [an employee of/consultant/attorney to the company] to serve as our representative on the Commission’s Telecommunications Interagency Working Group.”  
(2) For those applicants seeking to represent an entity that is a party to an FCC contract or subcontract or providing services for the benefit of the FCC under contract or subcontract, or in the case of any applicant who is individually a party to such a contract or providing services for the benefit of the FCC under such a contract, the nomination must include the following: 1) a general description of the contract/agreement; 2) a description of the product/services that the applicant provides pursuant to the contract/agreement; 3) a list of all parties to the contract/agreement; 4) the name of the Commission contracting officer (if known); and 5) a certification of the applicant that the applicant has provided written notice to the contracting officer and the FCC Manager, Contracts and Purchasing Center, that the applicant or representative nominee, as applicable, has applied for membership on the Commission’s Telecommunications Interagency Working Group. 
This Public Notice is not intended to be the exclusive method by which the Commission will solicit nominations to identify qualified candidates.
All nominations, including the requisite statements listed above, should be submitted by e-mail to TelecomWorkForceWG@fcc.gov.
ACCESSIBLE FORMATS
To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).  For additional information about the Working Group, please contact:  Stacy Ferraro at 202-418-0795 or Stacy.Ferraro@fcc.gov, or Paul D’Ari at 202-418-1550 or Paul.Dari@fcc.gov.
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