Veterans train in Elgin for an in-demand tech job: a 5G future on the cell tower
Imagine climbing 200 feet up a cellular tower with 30 pounds of equipment to work on a new installation, and describing being up there as "calm and relaxing."
That's what Joliet resident and Marine veteran Eric Jansen said of his upcoming career as a cell tower climbing technician, an opportunity he discovered thanks to the nonprofit Warriors 4 Wireless. The nonprofit links veterans to job opportunities at companies across the country, this year predominantly at SAC Wireless, which has its national training center in Elgin.
"I like that adrenaline rush. I like the physical aspect of jobs like that ... " Jansen said. "You have the greatest views ever. Your office is hanging 200 feet up in the air and you're loving everything."
Cell tower climbing technicians are in high demand as the upcoming 5G wireless technology network gets built out across the country, and military veterans are very well-suited for the job, said Warriors 4 Wireless president and CEO Kevin Kennedy.
Kennedy said he's established an especially productive partnership with SAC Wireless, headquartered in Chicago. "It works out very well for us and for them," he said.
5G stands for "fifth generation," meaning the upcoming iteration of wireless technology that will provide connectivity theoretically up to 100 times faster than the current 4G LTE. 5G service and phones are not yet available everywhere and release dates are different among carriers, according to Lifewire.com
Warriors 4 Wireless partners with about 180 companies across the country, including 22 in Illinois, Kennedy said. This year the Virginia-based nonprofit sent out resumes for 250 veterans and at least 30% got an interview or a job, he said.
Military veterans are used to dealing with risk, following safety protocols and working in teams, said Cris Challender, head of training for SAC Wireless in Elgin.
"They adapt really well to this environment," Challender said last week while observing about 10 new trainees from all over the country learn the ropes on 35-foot indoor towers. All trainees were equipped with self-retracting lifelines so they wouldn't drop more than 18 inches if they fell.
The field work involves climbing up cell towers 150 to 500 feet high, removing old equipment and installing new 5G equipment, Challender said.
SAC Wireless lead tower tech Chris Wernstrum of Seattle, an Army veteran, went through recertification training in Elgin after being hired two years ago.
"It's not for everybody," he said. "You have to deal with physical elements, and sometimes there is stress because of tight schedules. For me, it's fun."
Warriors 4 Wireless also places veterans into a two-week, intensive training held at Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service in Byron, Texas, and covered by educational benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. All 80 veterans who trained there this year received job offers, Kennedy said.
That included Jansen, who said he's already received four job offers, including one from SAC Wireless, even though he won't be done with training until Saturday.
There are about 20,000 cell tower climbing techs across the country, but the demand is for about 30,000, Challender said. SAC Wireless has about 600 techs and continues to hire more, running training sessions in Elgin every week this year, except holidays, he said.
Kennedy said his job is to inform veterans about the job opportunity and let them figure out if they are up for it, mentally and physically. That includes showing them photos looking down from 300 feet in the air, he said.
"If you have a fear of heights, this is not for you," he said.