Low-Voltage Fiber Technician Instructional Assistant

POSITION TITLE: AI-Enhanced Low-Voltage Fiber Technician Instructional Assistant

LOCATION: El Paso, Texas

DURATION: Temporary full-time

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Per Scholas seeks a dynamic, team-oriented individual to serve as an Instructional Assistant for our AI-Enhanced Low-Voltage Fiber Technician. The Instructional Assistant will play an essential role in supporting a hands-on training program that prepares entry-level adult learners for careers in fiber optics, structured cabling, low-voltage installation, telecommunications infrastructure, data center cabling, and security and fire alarm systems installation.

The ideal candidate is a safety-minded, learner-centered, and technically curious professional who can support the Technical Instructor in classroom facilitation, hands-on labs, learner coaching, equipment readiness, attendance and grade tracking, and certification preparation. This person should be comfortable working in a physical lab environment, modeling jobsite professionalism, reinforcing safety practices, and helping learners build confidence with tools, cabling systems, fiber equipment, network devices, AI-enabled learning tools, and workplace documentation.

To succeed in this role, the Instructional Assistant must demonstrate strong communication, accountability, organization, and a commitment to learner success. The IA should be able to support Per Scholas’ flipped classroom and workplace simulation approach by helping learners prepare before class, practice during labs, participate in study groups, and connect technical skills to real-world field and data center expectations.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Classroom Facilitation

• Using a structured and approved curriculum, assist the Technical Instructor in conducting technical training for UCI 1019: AI-Enhanced Low-Voltage Fiber Technician, preparing learners for entry-level roles such as Fiber Optic Technician, Low Voltage Technician, Network Cabling Technician, Data Center Cabling Technician, Telecommunications Installer, and Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installer / Technician.
• Assist classroom facilitation in a highly interactive, hands-on style, reinforcing technical concepts through guided practice, lab support, learner check-ins, and job-relevant examples.
• Support daily hands-on labs in structured copper cabling, fiber optic installation, cable pulling, cable dressing, labeling, termination, splicing, testing, certification, troubleshooting, and documentation.
• Assist learners with Cat5E, Cat6, and Cat6A cabling practice, including patch panels, keystone jacks, RJ45 connectors, punch-down blocks, 568A/568B wiring schemes, cable testing, labeling, and basic fault isolation.
• Support fiber optic lab activities involving single-mode and multimode fiber, connector inspection, pre-polished splice methods, fusion or mechanical splicing practice, optical power meter and light source testing, insertion loss measurement, OTDR interpretation, and as-built documentation.
• Support construction-adjacent labs involving construction math, hand and power tool safety, drilling, anchors, mounting, drywall rough-in, EMT conduit bending, cable tray/pathway systems, jobsite housekeeping, and low-voltage device placement.
• Reinforce OSHA 10 General Industry and NFPA 70E safety expectations, including PPE use, hazard awareness, safe tool handling, electrical safety awareness, and professional jobsite behavior.
• Assist with low-voltage systems integration labs involving CCTV/video surveillance, PoE cameras, wireless access points, IP-connected devices, access control diagrams, audio/visual systems, endpoint labeling, and device verification.
• Support applied network fundamentals activities, including PoE concepts, WAP connectivity, managed switch basics, VLAN awareness, ping/traceroute verification, port mapping, and documentation of device assignments.
• Help learners use ServiceNow, ITSM concepts, and ticket-based workflows to document troubleshooting steps, service notes, escalations, completion status, and professional stakeholder updates.
• Support responsible use of AI-enabled tools for learner practice, including generating study prompts, troubleshooting checklists, OTDR trace interpretation practice, documentation drafts, lesson summaries, and professional communications while reinforcing the need to verify AI outputs.
• Consult with the Technical Instructor before providing current learners with any review materials, videos, AI prompts, checklists, study guides, or other supplemental support.
• Form and lead study groups using instructor evaluations, learner needs, and course performance data. Study group topics will be determined by the instructor and learners and may be held during class time with instructor approval or before/after class.
• Consult with the Technical Instructor to determine activities for the present and upcoming days and assist in gathering tools, cabling materials, fiber equipment, PPE, network devices, hand tools, and documentation templates needed for lectures and hands-on labs.
• Understand the curriculum and be prepared to conduct a lesson or facilitate a structured review activity if the instructor needs to be out of the classroom. Please note an IA will not be asked to facilitate a lesson for an extended period.
• Ensure that all equipment loaned to or used by learners is returned to the instructor, storage area, tool inventory, or the person from whom it was borrowed.
• Utilize an in-house Learning Management System for assignments, tests, real-time performance monitoring, and assisting in entering learner attendance, grades, scorecards, lab completion, and progress notes.
• Support the Per Scholas instructional model, where lecture is limited and the majority of training time is dedicated to interactive, hands-on lab activities led by the Technical Instructor.
• Support class sizes that typically range from 15-30 learners.

Managing Learner Performance

• Provide learners with ongoing feedback, recognize challenges early, and work with the Technical Instructor, coaches, and learners to overcome barriers to technical progress, professionalism, attendance, and persistence.
• Coordinate closely with the Technical Instructor, Professional Development team, learner support staff, and career coaches to enforce program expectations and promote learner success.
• Implement individualized study plans and structured practice sessions for learners who are struggling with cabling labs, safety expectations, certification readiness, documentation, or core technical concepts.
• Participate in required learner progress meetings with the instructional team and other support staff.
• Monitor and enforce learner class attendance, dress code, safety expectations, PPE use, tool handling protocols, lab participation, and other program policies.
• Help learners connect technical performance to workplace expectations, including punctuality, communication, documentation quality, teamwork, jobsite safety, tool care, and client-facing professionalism.
• Support learner preparation for the FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT) exam, OSHA 10 General Industry, NFPA 70E Electrical Safety, and assigned ServiceNow / ITSM learning activities through review sessions, practice questions, and lab reinforcement.

Administrative

• Participate in staff meetings, learner progress meetings, instructional planning meetings, and course readiness conversations as required.
• Conduct real-time learner data entry in Salesforce, Canvas, and/or other required systems, including attendance, grades, lab completion, certification progress, scorecards, and learner notes.
• Assist with classroom and lab readiness, including organizing tools, checking equipment availability, preparing lab materials, tracking inventory, supporting safe storage, and reporting missing or damaged items.
• Support documentation of lab issues, equipment needs, learner trends, and course improvement opportunities for the Technical Instructor and Product team.
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism when handling learner data, performance information, and internal program communications.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO US

Professional Qualifications

• Graduate of a Per Scholas Training Program preferred.
• Obtained all certifications offered in the training course in which you participated, where applicable.
• Ability to teach, coach, or support learners in a highly interactive and hands-on style.
• Passion for teaching others and supporting adult learners who may have little to no prior technical background.
• Flexibility to adapt to changes in schedule, learner needs, lab pacing, equipment availability, and instructional priorities.
• Interest in being part of a culture of continuous improvement.
• Team-oriented work style and willingness to collaborate closely with the Technical Instructor, Professional Development, Learner Support, Business Solutions, Technology, and Product teams.
• Highly responsive communicator with strong verbal communication skills.
• Comfort using Canvas, Salesforce, Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Office 365, AI-enabled tools, and other digital platforms used to support instruction and learner performance.

Course-Aligned Technical Qualifications

• Foundational knowledge of low-voltage installation, telecommunications infrastructure, structured cabling, fiber optic cabling, data center cabling, network cabling, security systems, fire alarm systems, AV systems, construction trades, or a closely related field preferred.
• Ability to support learners with copper cabling practice, including Cat5E, Cat6, Cat6A, RJ45 connectors, patch panels, keystone jacks, punch-down blocks, 568A/568B wiring schemes, cable dressing, labeling, and cable testing.
• Familiarity with fiber optic concepts and field practices, including single-mode and multimode fiber, connectors, splicing, connector inspection, optical loss testing, and OTDR-based troubleshooting preferred.
• Ability to model safe use of common hand tools and low-voltage tools, including wire strippers, crimpers, punch-down tools, cable testers/certifiers, multimeters, drills, anchors, fish tape, and related jobsite equipment.
• Understanding of jobsite safety, PPE, hazard awareness, cable pathway systems, EMT conduit, cable tray, drywall rough-in, mounting, bend radius, pulling tension, and clean work practices preferred.
• Familiarity with PoE devices, WAPs, managed switches, IP-connected devices, CCTV/video surveillance, access control diagrams, and basic network connectivity concepts preferred.
• Ability to assist with professional documentation, including cable labels, test results, as-built records, ticket notes, service updates, diagrams, and learner-facing checklists.
• Willingness to complete or support course-aligned training, including FOA CFOT, OSHA 10 General Industry, NFPA 70E Electrical Safety, ServiceNow, and ITSM learning activities as required.

Personal Characteristics

• You thrive in a creative, inventive, fast-paced startup environment with people who are passionate about their work and mission.
• You are data-driven, result-oriented, and a forward-looking catalyst for social change.
• You have a collaborative and flexible work style. You’re excited to work cross-functionally with other departments and independently.
• You are an effective communicator with strong oral and written skills.
• You are tech-savvy and can learn new tools quickly.
• You are safety-minded, organized, and attentive to the details of hands-on lab environments.
• You are strong at time management and can balance multiple projects and tasks.
• You are patient, approachable, and able to build rapport with learners from various professional, technical, and cultural backgrounds.
• You stand behind our mission, believing that individuals from any community should have access to well-paying career positions and that talent should be recognized and recruited from diverse sources.