CFOT 4-Day
Entry-Level Fiber Training
The Certified Fiber Optics Technician (CFOT) course covers four days. It prepares students for entry-level positions. There are no prerequisites required. FiberNexxt provides everything needed for fiber technician certification. Participants receive pre-class preparation tips, in-class instruction and materials, and skills training. Also, trainees learn on the same equipment used by field technicians.
The Fiber Optics Association (FOA) is a nationally recognized fiber trade organization. The organization approves the course and its instructors. The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes FOA certification.
In this course, participants learn:
Fiber Optics Theory
Day 1 covers theory. The session teaches fiber cable types and fiber hardware. Next, students learn the basics of signal transmission. Then, participants study splicing best practices and types of connectors. Finally, participants learn industry testing standards.
Fiber Optics Skills Training
Over the next two days, trainees put theory into practice. In Day 2’s morning session teaches how to prepare fiber cables. Instruction covers working with fiber enclosures, and using hand tools. Last, the afternoon session shows how to splice and safety best practices.
In Day 3’s morning session, trainees study connector types and methods for cable termination. Day 3 ends with how to use test equipment, testing standards, measuring signal transmission, and basic troubleshooting.
Skills Project
Day 4 begins with the class project. The class project reinforces theory and skills training gained during the previous three days. Here, students demonstrate how to prepare cable, splice fibers, make connectors, and assess a fiber network for signal transmission.
CFOT Certification Exam
Day 4 ends in the FOA certification exam. Throughout the course, instructors test students’ knowledge. Participants practice using homework assignments designed to reinforce. Instructors use mock questions like actual FOA exam questions. Upon passing, students become certified fiber optic technicians.
CFOT Career Outlook & Pay
After CFOT certification, students have marketable industry skills. Typical entry-level jobs are field technician, junior splicing technician, or cable prep technician. According to Chron.com, the average salary for new technicians ranges from $25,000-$35,000 annually or $13-18 per hour. Factors such as experience, city, and skills influence pay, according to Payscale.com.
Fiber technician jobs fall under the category electrical power-line installers and repairers. Positions are in the telecommunications, building equipment contractors, and utility system construction companies, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS’), the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH). It projects job growth for fiber optic installers and repair technicians at a rate of 14 percent between 2010 and 2026.
New technicians typically begin as junior technicians doing prep or installation work. Fiber technicians go on to become cable splicers (averages $26.69/hour), network engineers (averages 28.56/hour) or telecommunications technicians (averages $21.66/hour). Average pay begins after 3-5 years of experience.
Taking the CFOT 4-day course is the first step to a career in fiber optics. Obtaining certification says a student met a standard of preparation, knowledge, and skill. Participants build on certification to become technicians and move on to become splicers, network engineers, or telecommunications technicians. CFOTs make a comfortable living with an average rate of $13-18/hour.
​Sources:
How Much Does a Fiber Optic Technician Make? https://work.chron.com/much-fiber-optic-technician-make-1736.html, (visited July 29, 2019).
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Line Installers and Repairers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/line-installers-and-repairers.htm#tab-5, (visited July 29, 2019).
Average Entry-Level Fiber Optic Technician Hourly Pay, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Fiber_Optic_Technician/Hourly_Rate/d09edfa0/Entry-Level, (visited July 29, 2019).
FiberNexxt Communications is your fiber training source. Call us or visit our website. Register for our next class today. See the latest schedule.
Contact: Levi West, Jr., 770.376.0834, fibertraining@fibernexxt.com, fibernexxt.com
