Premises
Cabling OJT - On The Job Training Course
OJT
is the well-known term for "on-the-job training." Workers
learn on the job under the supervision of experienced
co-workers. FOA has been asked many times how its
resources like Fiber U can be used to help employers and
their employees involved in OJT. The interest in OJT has
been so high, especially during the difficult year in
2020, that FOA decided to formalize a Fiber U OJT program
and create training aids to help employers develop
qualified techs using OJT.
The FOA Fiber U OJT program combines online study at Fiber
U with OJT to help new employees develop into certified
technicians in only one year. Upon completion of this
program, the trainee will be prepared to take the exam for
the FOA CPCT, Certified Premises Cabling Technician, a
widely recognized independent cabling certification.
Level: Novice
Intended For:
Newcomers
to premises cabling who are working in the field,
learning from supervisors and co-workers
Companies
wanting to help new employees become trained and
productive quickly
Supervisors needing a more structured OJT program to
help train recent hires
Objectives:
From this self-study program you should learn:
What
is premises cabling and how is it used in communications
How
networks work
What
tools and components are used in building premises
cabling
What
are the processes used in cabling installation
The hands-on skills needed to successfully install
cabling
The
knowledge to complete the OJT program and pass the FOA
CPCT exam
- Prerequisites
You will be expected to have a position at a company
that involves the installation of premises cabling.
You
should have completed schooling to at least the 10th
grade level with good reading comprehension and math
skills.
You
should have the permission of you company and agreement
that knowledgeable company employees will help and
mentor you.
You
need a laptop, tablet or smartphone and Internet access
that you can use to access Fiber U lessons and FOA
Guide pages of reference materials.
Candidate
should complete the Fiber U Premises Cabling online
course (see below) before joining the FOA Fiber U OJT
program.
Program Description The Fiber U OJT program is designed for novices working
at companies who want to provide organized training for
employees who have limited or no experience in premises
cabling installation. The
program combines online lessons here on the FOA’s free
web-based training site Fiber U covering the basic
knowledge of premises cabling installation with a
structured “on-the-job” training program to acquire the
necessary skills for performing the tasks involved in
installation focusing on the scope of tasks your company
specializes in.
To
explain How OJT works and FOA's OJT-To-Cert program, FOA
created a short 10 minute YouTube video that explains
what OJT is, who uses it and how to use Fiber U to
organize and enhance OJT for new employees and
experienced workers too. On
The Job Training For Fiber Optics Using Fiber U
(video)
Requirements
To Be An OJT Trainee
Trainees
should have an education level of approximately 10th
grade, with basic math and adequate reading level. They
should have the ability to work independently, follow
directions and be punctual. They must be willing to commit
to the program which requires an extra level of time
commitment on the job, mostly for outside online study.
Trainee
will need Internet access through a PC, tablet or
smartphone and Internet access at work and/or at home. The
hands-on labs will require use of the company’s equipment
as used on the job or purchase of inexpensive equipment
purchased online.
Trainee
must complete the Fiber
U “Premises cabling” online course.
and achieve their Fiber U Certificate of Completion
before applying for the OJT-To-Cert program.The timing
of the rest of the OJT program will be partially driven
by projects on the job and partly by the Fiber U
schedule.
The
OJT Supervisors and Mentors
While
it is preferable if one supervisor or mentor works with
the trainee during the course of the program, it's likely
that different job assignments will require several. The
OJT supervisors and mentors must be sufficiently
experienced in the type of work the trainee will be
performing to judge the trainee's progress and be willing
to commit working with the trainee for the program.
Based
on the Fiber U OJT program, the OJT supervisor
should help set the timetable for achieving specific
learning goals and ongoing evaluation targets leading to
the opportunity to take the FOA CFOT online. The Fiber U
Premises Cabling program has 8 lessons and for most
trainees, should take 5-10 hours of study.
The
Supervisor provides supervision to the trainee in a safe
environment with the necessary tools to perform the Fiber
U Basic Skills Labs “hands-on” assignments outlined in the
OJT program
Get Started
- Make
arrangements within your company to participate in the
Fiber U OJT program
- Begin with the Fiber U OJT program below
- Download a Experience Log
(below)
Download The FOA Fiber U OJT-to-Cert Worksheet (doc) and Experience Log (xlsx)
Use these to track your training and OJT
for FOA certification.
Online
Courses At Fiber U
While
working on the job, the candidate must complete these
Fiber U online courses and OJT programs.
Part
1 - Fiber
U “Premises Cabling” - The Online “Classroom”
Lessons
The
potential OJT trainee must first complete the
Fiber U “Premises Cabling” online course.
This course has 10 lessons aligned with the FOA reference
materials. The learning objectives are outlined by the FOA’s
list of KSA’s (knowledge, skills and abilities) that
must be mastered to pass the FOA CPCT certification exam.
There are 8 lessons in the program which will take a total
of 5-10 hours of study and the trainee should be expected
to complete at least one lesson each week.
Lesson 1: Introduction, Overview of Cabling, Standards,
Cables
Lesson 2: Cabling Jargon - The Language of Cabling, Terms
and Definitions
Lesson 3: Communications Networks and Applications
Lesson 4: Copper Cabling
Lesson 5: Fiber Optic Cabling
Lesson 6: Wireless
Lesson 7: Designing Premises Cabling Systems
Lesson 8: Premises Cabling Installation
The
OJT supervisor should monitor the trainee's progress. It
is important to make sure the trainee is reviewing and
mastering the material on the agreed upon schedule so
he/she will be ready for the OJT portion of the
course. We suggest you have the trainee save each
completed lesson quizzes (print to PDF or paper) and
submit each one to you as they are completed. The
instructor can assign additional review material to
individual students as needed.
The
trainee should complete the Fiber U Premises Cabling online
course and achieve their Fiber U Certificate of Completion
at the beginning of the OJT program.
Part
2 – Fiber U "Premises
Cabling Basics Skills Lab" -
Hands-On Training
While
the trainee is working on company projects, they should be
exposed to basic practices of fiber optic installation and
begin developing the skills they need with the supervision
of an experienced installer. To help guide the training in
skills, Fiber U has a program aimed at skills development,
the
Fiber
U "Basics Skills Lab."
online course.
The
Fiber U Basics Skills Lab is an online guide to learning
the basic hands-on skills used by fiber optic techs: cable
pulling and prep, splicing, termination and testing. This
online course is very comprehensive so not all hands-on
lessons will apply to every trainee, The appropriate
lessons can be chosen by the supervisor or trainee
as appropriate and when needed to prepare the trainee for
upcoming jobs. There is no schedule on this part of the
lessons; topics can be scheduled to fit the work being
done by the trainee.
Copper
Cabling uses the Fiber U Basic Skills Lab for Premises Cabling
Lesson
1: Coax Cabling
Lesson
2: UTP
Cabling
Lesson
3: UTP Testing
Fiber
Optics uses the Fiber
U Basic Skills Lab for Fiber Optics. Choose
the topics relevant to your work.
Lesson
1: Introduction, Safety in Working With Fiber Optics
Lesson 2: Fiber Optic Tools and
Equipment NEW: Purchase inexpensive
equipment online and use it for hands-on lessons. Go here.
Lesson 3: Fiber Optic Cables
Lesson 4: Fiber Optic Splicing
Lesson 5: Fiber Optic Termination
Lesson 6: Fiber Optic Testing
In
these hands-on lessons, there are FOA YouTube Videos and
“Virtual Hands-On” tutorials to give the trainee
step by step instructions on how to use tools and
components - prepare cables, splice, terminate and test
them. For each lesson, the trainee should use company
equipment and components to complete the hands-on
exercises.
If
preferred, or if the company wants to start the trainee
with simpler tasks, the Basic Skills Lab has a DIY
program based on inexpensive equipment
available online that provide the basic skills before
beginning to use more professional equipment.
The trainee is expected to complete all the tasks in the
Basic Skills Lab during their OJT year.
After
completion of the two basic Fiber U courses, while the
trainee is working on the job, they may elect to take
additional Fiber U courses relating to their work. All
Fiber U courses are free and cover topics related to
skills and applications for techs doing fiber optic
installation work.
Part
3: Certification
Participants
will be eligible to take the FOA CFOT Certification exam
online at the completion of both parts of the program and obtaining enough field work experience.
This information is
provided by The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. as a
benefit to those interested in teaching, designing,
manufacturing, selling, installing or using fiber optic
communications systems or networks. It is intended to be
used as an overview and/or basic guidelines and in no
way should be considered to be complete or
comprehensive. These guidelines are strictly the opinion
of the FOA and the reader is expected to use them as a
basis for learning, as a reference and for creating
their own documentation, project specifications, etc.
Those working with fiber optics in the classroom,
laboratory or field should follow all safety rules
carefully. The FOA assumes no liability for the use of
any of this material.
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