5 things you need to know about working in Vancouver's fast-paced telecommunications industry

Jul 18 2017, 11:20 pm

Can you imagine earning a good wage while also working in a rewarding career? That could be your reality if you enter the telecommunications industry in the Lower Mainland.

With the demand for fibre optic and high-speed wireless networks on the rise, companies are on the hunt for trained professionals to service these complex systems.

Trained installers and technicians are becoming more valuable to companies such as Telus, Shaw, and Rogers — as well as the agencies like BC Ambulance, the RCMP, and E-Comm.

Here are five things you need to know about working in the fast-paced telecommunications industry.

There are plenty of jobs

Telus’ Fibre Optic Internet Initiative calls for the installation of fibre optic cable to homes and businesses across the Lower Mainland within a five-year window. This has resulted in Telus and its contractors seeking to hire hundreds of technicians and installers to complete the project.

The work is fast-paced

If you get hired into the telecommunications industry, your duties could span from installation and repair, to working with business systems, cable maintenance, fibre optic splicing, construction, radio system service, or even working with microwave and radar systems.

You can earn a great salary

With so many job openings, companies are finding it difficult to hire enough suitable candidates. That’s good news for newly trained technicians who are finding themselves with multiple job offers and starting wages in the $16 to $24 per hour range. This is the kind of career where you’ll find plenty of opportunities for advancement and salary increases.

Jobs will continue to be in-demand

The need for younger technicians is high as the workforce is aging and older technicians are retiring. Naturally, they need to be replaced with newly trained staff. The demand is set to increase as we see the last of the boomer generation retiring over the next 5 to 10 years resulting in an increased demand for trained millennials to fill these roles.

It’s easy to get qualified

The Telecommunications Technician and Wireless Communications Technician programs at BCIT are only two years, and equip graduates with the real-world skills they need to walk into a rewarding telecommunications career.

Alex Wai, chief instructor of these programs states: “I am constantly receiving inquiries from industry asking for graduates of the programs to fill job positions within their companies. These last few years we have had a higher demand for graduates than there are graduates and I do not see that there will be a decrease in that demand for some time.”

Once you complete a BCIT two-year telecommunications diploma program you’ll be equipped to start a career working in an industry that has good wages with a wide range of reputable employers.


For more information on the telecommunications courses offered at BCIT, visit them online. To get the latest updates and to stay in the know, check out BCIT on Facebook.

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