New nationwide portable certification programs provide career progression pathways for industry workers
The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) announced today the official launch of the Telecommunications Tower Foreman and Antenna & Line Specialty Certification programs.
These programs were developed by the NWSA’s Foreman and Antenna & Line Specialty Task Force that is comprised of subject matter experts from all aspects of the communications industry – tower technicians, carriers, tower owners/vertical realtors, OEM’s contractors, trainers, manufacturers and suppliers – who together represent many thousands of hours of related telecommunications and tower experience.
“NWSA is excited to come out of the gates strong in 2019 by launching the new Telecommunications Tower Foreman and Antenna & Line Specialty Certification Programs,” said NWSA Board of Directors President Don Doty. “These new national and portable worker credentialing offerings fulfill the NWSA’s goal of developing upward mobility among the professional workforce by providing career progression of certification pathways,” added Doty.
In developing the programs, NWSA continued its collaboration with the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) to facilitate designing the exams and credentialing programs in alignment with the certification industry’s most rigorous accreditation requirements.
To achieve NWSA Antenna & Line Specialty certification, candidates are required to be an NWSA Telecommunications Tower Technician 2 (TTT-2) and successfully complete a computer-based (CBT) written examination to demonstrate their knowledge and skills related to installation, repair, troubleshooting and maintenance of antennas, transmission lines and mounts on communication structures. The testing fee to obtain NWSA Antenna & Line Specialty certification is $274.
To become a certified NWSA Foreman, candidates must have previously achieved their TTT-2 certification as well as at least one NWSA “Specialty” certification, such as the Antenna & Line Specialty, and successfully complete a computer-based (CBT) written examination to demonstrate their knowledge and skills related to supervision of crews performing construction, installation, demolition, and/or maintenance on communication sites in accordance with construction drawings and/or written scopes of work and in compliance with applicable industry standards and best practices. The testing fee to obtain a NWSA Foreman certification is $274.
“This is a banner day for NWSA as these new worker certification programs will continue to cultivate a culture of safety and quality among the industry’s workforce,” stated Executive Director Duane MacEntee. “I would like to thank all of the subject matter experts who made these certification offerings a reality by dedicating themselves over the past year to share their collective experience for the benefit of the industry,” MacEntee added.
NWSA will start developing additional Specialty certifications in the coming months. The next development priority is in the area of tower rigging, followed by structural modifications. These certifications will also satisfy the Specialty prerequisite for Foreman certification.
Upon passing these exams and meeting all other certification criteria, candidates are issued a wallet certification card that can be authenticated through the NWSA’s online credential verification database search tool. Candidates and industry stakeholders are encouraged to visit www.nws-a.org for detailed information on the certification process, applying for CBT tests and practical examinations, credential verification, for more information on new certification programs, and how they can be involved.
