Wireless Infrastructure Association EVP Tim House testifies to House subcommittee
Tim House, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Wireless Infrastructure Association, delivered an opening statement to the House Education and Workforce’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development at a hearing titled “Building an AI Ready America: Strengthening Employer Lead Training,” addressing employer-led approaches to Artificial Intelligence (AI) workforce training.
House argued that employer-led training and competency-based Registered Apprenticeships produced practical skills and created faster pathways to good jobs, and he said existing efforts would not meet upcoming demand without policy change such as WIOA reauthorization that preserved state flexibility and explicitly supported Registered Apprenticeships and employer-led training.
The presentation described Registered Apprenticeships as competency-based programs that blended classroom learning and on-the-job training, enabling participants to advance by demonstrating competency; it also cited the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) as a program that trained people who build and maintain the infrastructure powering AI, and noted WIA was the only DOL-recognized Industry Intermediary for telecommunications.
The statement referenced support for the President’s Executive Order to prepare Americans for high-paying skilled trades and the goal of enrolling one million new registered apprentices, and it urged encouragement of the sector partnership model while noting ongoing work connected to broadband program implementation.
“Despite the real progress our industry has made, current efforts alone will not meet the demand that is coming,” said House. “If there is one takeaway from my participation today, it is the value of Industry Intermediaries for workforce development initiatives,” said House. “Registered Apprenticeships, coordinated with employers, target the skills needed for high-demand fields like broadband and AI. These programs grow the talent pool, equip participants with practical skills, and support long-term careers. By blending classroom learning and on-the-job training, participants advance by demonstrating competency. WIA enthusiastically supports the President’s Executive Order to prepare Americans for high-paying skilled trades and the goal of enrolling one million new registered apprentices,” said House. The statement referenced Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD), Congress’s $42 billion broadband investment and linked that work to the rise of AI and a sustained increase in demand for skilled telecommunications professionals.