A new marketing campaign launched by NBN seeks to head off a telco skills shortage by signing up 2000 young people to helping roll out the National Broadband Network.
The 'Career Start' campaign aims to get more young people into roles including telecommunications copper cable jointer and linesworker to help roll out the network
"The NBN is Australia’s largest infrastructure project and it is absolutely vital that we have enough people to construct the network as we increase the pace of the rollout," NBN's CEO, Bill Morrow, said in a statement.
"At present a large proportion of the Australian telecommunication industry workforce are due to retire in around five years' time. Without the Career Start campaign, we believe that we would be potentially staring down the barrel of a telecommunications skills shortage in Australia."
The campaign is aimed at people with little or no previous telco experience, NBN said.
Career Start forms part of a $40 million NBN initiative unveiled in August that seeks to boost the network's rollout workforce from 4500 to 9000.
NBN today announced its panel of training providers for the program: ASG Integracom Management Group (Ash Pty Ltd); Blue Sky Academy; Careers Australia Institute of Training; Celemetrix Professional Services Pty Ltd; Chisholm Institute; Federation Training; Holmesglen Institute of TAFE; JB Hunter Technology; Ramsden Telecommunications Training; and Programmed SKILLED Training Services.
Candidates for Career Start can register their interest online. Successful candidates will be employed by an NBN service delivery partner or sub-contractor.
NBN earlier this month released a three-year rollout plan.