Cherokee Nation Career Services department recently graduated 12 new fiber technicians from the tribe’s fiber technician training program, which has trained more than 100 since the program’s creation.
Career Services started the fiber technician training program in 2020, among the training initiatives under the Hoskin-Warner administration’s Career Readiness Act. Citizens who complete the program report earning an average salary of $47,000 after only 12 weeks of job training.
kAm“xE’D :>A@CE2?E E92E H6 4@?E:?F6 E@ :?G6DE :?E@ 65F42E:@?2= @AA@CEF?:E:6D 24C@DD 2 G2C:6EJ @7 D<:==D 2?5 EC256D[” D2:5 r9:67 r9F4< w@D<:? yC] “x?G6DE>6?E :?E@ 7:36C @AE:4 H:== C6>2:? 4C:E:42= 2?5 6G6? >@C6 D@ 😕 E96 7FEFC6 H:E9 E96 A9JD:42= 6IA2?D:@? @7 E96 r96C@<66 }2E:@?] x’> AC@F5 E@ D66 E96D6 J@F?8 r96C@<66D 49@@D:?8 E@ :?G6DE :?E@ E96>D6=G6D 2?5 E96:C 4@>>F?:E:6D]”k^Am
kAmu:36C E649?:4:2?D :?DE2== kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm9:89\DA665k^DA2?m E6=64@>>F?:42E:@?D :?7C2DECF4EFC6 :?4=F5:?8 7:36C @AE:4 423=6D[ H9:49 FD6 E9C625D @7 8=2DD E@ EC2?D76C 52E2 2E 9:89 DA665D] $EF56?ED 6?C@==65 😕 E96 AC@8C2> 82:? >:4C@ 4C656?E:2=D 2=@?8 H:E9 ?646DD2CJ ;@3 EC2:?:?8]k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm“%96 >@DE A@H6C7F= E9:?8 E96 r96C@<66 }2E:@? 42? 5@ 7@C r96C@<66 4:E:K6?D 😀 E@ AC@G:56 E96> 2 A=2E7@C> 7@C 249:6G:?8 E96:C @H? 8@2=D] (6 42? 5@ E92E E9C@F89 @FC t5F42E:@? s6A2CE>6?E 3J AC@G:5:?8 D49@=2CD9:AD 2?5 @E96C D6CG:46D 7@C E9@D6 H9@ 49@@D6 E96 9:896C 65F42E:@? A2E9[ 3FE ?@E 2== r96C@<66D H2?E E@ E2<6 E92E A2E9] %92E’D H9J H6 :?G6DE 😕 42C66C EC2:?:?8[” D2:5 s6AFEJ r9:67 qCJ2? (2C?6C] “|2?J @7 E96 72DE6DE\8C@H:?8 :?5FDEC:6D 2C6 😕 D<:==65 EC256 E92E 42? 36 3@E9 =F4C2E:G6 2?5 DFDE2:?23=6 @G6C E96 =@?8\E6C>]”k^DA2?mk^Am
kAm%96 u:36C %649?:4:2? %C2:?:?8 !C@8C2> 😀 2? :?E6?D:G6[ 92?5D\@? 9J3C:5 4@FCD6 56D:8?65 E@ AC6A2C6 A2CE:4:A2?ED 7@C 9:89\56>2?5 42C66CD 😕 E96 3C@2532?5 :?5FDECJ] %96 AC@8C2> 4@>3:?6D 26C:2= 4@?DECF4E:@? 2?5 =:?6>2? EC2:?:?8 H:E9 E649?:42= :?DECF4E:@? 😕 7:36C @AE:4 :?DE2==2E:@?[ >2:?E6?2?46[ EC@F3=6D9@@E:?8[ 2?5 C6A2:C] %9C@F89 2 >:I @7 :?\A6CD@? 4=2DDC@@> =62C?:?8 2?5 92?5D\@? 7:6=5 6I6C4:D6D[ DEF56?ED 82:? 2 E9@C@F89 F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 3@E9 E96@C6E:42= 4@?46AED 2?5 AC24E:42= 2AA=:42E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89@FE E96 AC@8C2>[ A2CE:4:A2?ED 2C6 EC2:?65 😕 A@=6 4=:>3:?8[ ;:88:?8[ 7:36C DA=:4:?8[ DEC2?5 92?8:?8[ 2?5 25G2?465 7:36C 5:28?@DE:4D] &A@? DF446DD7F= 4@>A=6E:@?[ DEF56?ED C646:G6 2 46CE:7:42E6 @7 4@>A=6E:@?[ 2=@?8 H:E9 E96:C ~$wp b_ 4C656?E:2=D] %96J 2=D@ 62C? >F=E:A=6 DE24<23=6 >:4C@\4C656?E:2=D E9C@F89 ~$& x?DE:EFE6 @7 %649?@=@8J[ :?4=F5:?8 56D:8?2E:@?D 😕 u:36C ~AE:4D %649?:4:2?[ u%%I x?DE2==6C 2?5 %649?:4:2?[ ~FED:56 !=2?E %649?:4:2?[ %C@F3=6D9@@E:?8 2?5 s:28?@DE:4D[ p6C:2= r@?DECF4E:@? %649?:4:2?[ 2?5 p5G2?465 u:36C ~AE:4D %649?:4:2?]k^Am
kAm%9:D H@C<7@C46\5C:G6? AC@8C2> ?@E @?=J 6BF:AD DEF56?ED H:E9 :?5FDECJ\C64@8?:K65 4C656?E:2=D 3FE 2=D@ DFAA@CED C68:@?2= 3C@2532?5 6IA2?D:@? 2?5 4@??64E:G:EJ 3J AC@5F4:?8 ;@3\C625J 7:36C E649?:4:2?D]k^Am
kAm$2>>:6 v:CEJ[ @7 %29=6BF29[ 8C25F2E65 H:E9 E96 >@DE C646?E 4=2DD @7 E649?:4:2?D] v:CEJ 92D C646:G65 2 ;@3 @776C 😕 x@H2 27E6C 4@>A=6E:?8 E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am