Network Wiring: Not one of the Fasting Growing Occupations?
Chao Closer to Left Field than Home Plate!

To quote one of my favorite childhood superheroes, “Riddle me this, Batman, how can the premise, or inside plant, communications wiring not be one of the Fastest Growing Occupations?”

On October 8, 2003, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced the Career Voyages website as a collaboration between the Departments of Labor and Education.  Since I work for a company that develops career-training programs for secondary and post-secondary students, I was excited to read the secretary’s comments:

"Career Voyages helps young people learn about the high growth industries where many opportunities await them…"

Without detailing the entire list, #1 is “Computer Support Specialists,” and “Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers” is #12.

According to the Career Voyages website, under the guise of “Computer Support Specialist” is:  “Network or computer systems administrators design, install, and support an organization's LAN, WAN, network segment, Internet, or Intranet system.  They provide day-to-day onsite administrative support for software users in a variety of work environments...They maintain network hardware and software, analyze problems, and monitor the network to ensure availability to system users.”

When describing the nature of work for the “Telecommunications Line Installer and Repairer,” the site states, “Vast networks of wires and cables provide customers with electrical power and communications services.  Networks of electrical power lines deliver electricity from generating plants to customers.  Communications networks of telephone and cable television lines provide voice, video, and other communications services.  These networks are constructed and maintained by line installers and repairers.”

Okay, so I’m getting a little excited because my company develops programs that teach the basics behind network wiring and cabling as well as voice communications networks.  But, as I read further, I am dismayed.  “Entry-level line installers may be hired as ground workers, helpers, or tree trimmers, who clear branches from telephone and power lines. These workers may advance to positions stringing cable and performing service installations.”  What about the need for technicians to install the cabling within the building?

So, basically, the #1 Fasting Growing Occupation deals with supporting the hardware and the software of the network and the #12 occupation deals with the outside plant wiring for communications networks.

I welcome someone, anyone, to explain this one to me.  Secretary Chao, please shed some light. 

If maintaining the hardware and the software of the network is so important, and installing and repairing the cabling for our Wide Area Networks is so important, how can the wires that connect all of these networks together not be as important, if not more?

Once again, someone, the government in this case, is missing the fact that none of this technology that we rely on so much these days will operate properly, provide the necessary data throughput, unless the wires within the buildings, offices, and homes are installed properly. 

Consider the Las Vegas Hilton Resort and Casino where they are rewiring the entire building.  Is the Systems Administrator going to do this work?  How about the technicians running wire from pole-to-pole?  Are they going remove their climbing spikes and belt and venture inside the building?  In a word, “Not!”

Phase One of the Las Vegas Hilton project requires 150,000 feet of cable; that’s almost 29 miles of cable.  Do you think the hotel owners, the IT Manager, equipment suppliers and technicians working this job are going to worry about how well the cabling is installed?  I’d bet everything I have on yes.  I’d encourage Secretary Chao and everyone else to do the same.

I am not here to negate the importance of Secretary Chao’s 1 & 12, but realistically, Folks, there are more wiring “drops” in a building than there are active workstations.  On a very small scale, I have 11 locations in my home that I have wired for data, voice and video.  Most locations have three Category 5 drops, two Coaxial drops and two strands of dark fiber.  Why not?  You never know.  I only have an 8-port switch, and four locations are completely inactive.  But I am ready for expansion if/when I need it.

Now consider an office building that currently has 20 employees but has a capacity of 40 or 50.  How about an office complex that services 800 people daily with the ability to double that?  And let’s remember the Las Vegas Hilton with 1,300 drops, not including all of the gaming tables and slot machines.

So much of what we do on a daily basis, and mostly take for granted, relies on the wires within the building that connect everything together.

Oh, wait, what about the next generation of smart appliances?  Do you believe that manufacturers are putting this technology into their products so they won’t be connected to the network?

Everyone relies on the network infrastructure to just go about business as usual.  Many of us rely on it for much more than that.  And this infrastructure does not just happen.

I began with a quote and so shall I end.  Comedian Rodney Dangerfield’s claim to fame was, “I get no respect, no respect.” 

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