More than a dozen of GCI’s rural support agents, instructors, subject matter experts and support staff gathered in Bethel earlier this winter for the company’s first-ever large-scale rural support agent training. Clad in hardhats, high visibility safety vests and cold weather gear, the group got some hands-on experience at local telecom facilities to complement the classroom education components. The weeklong event covered a wide range of topics, including first aid and CPR, workplace safety, site and tower light inspections, facilities and maintenance education and more.
Fifteen of GCI’s rural support agents, each from a different community, including St. Paul, Shishmaref, Emmonak and more, traveled to Bethel in November for the event.
“Whether performing routine testing and maintenance or acting as GCI’s first responders when issues arise, our dedicated team of rural support agents play a key role in the operations of the company’s statewide network,” said GCI Vice President of Operations Chris Burns. “Our rural support agents are often the only boots on the ground in the communities we serve, so a broad range of knowledge and a high degree of self-sufficiency is a must. That’s why training and education are a critical component of GCI’s success, and this team has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn more and expand their base of knowledge. It’s what makes GCI the best communications company in Alaska.”
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The training, which involved a dozen GCI subject matter experts from across the state, was hosted in partnership with Bethel Native Corporation and Yuut Elitnaurviat, a career development organization in Bethel that aims at putting the people of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta to work in local high-wage jobs. GCI has partnered with BNC to build the AIRRAQ Network, which will bring fiber-optic connectivity to 13 Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta communities.
“We couldn’t have made this event happen without the help of our partners at BNC and Yuut Elitnaurviat, which hosted the event, housed our employees who traveled to Bethel for the training and kept them well fed,” said GCI Technical Development Manager Caroline Renner. “GCI’s own experts from across the state offered up their time and vast technical knowledge to ensure our rural support agents have access to the training and educational resources needed to be GCI’s eyes and ears on the ground in their home communities.”
With the successful week of rural support agent training complete, GCI intends to host additional training and educational sessions in 2025 as it bolsters its workforce development efforts.