CARSON CITY, Nev. — In November 2019, the Nevada Attorney General’s office announced the state dropped its legal challenge to the planned megamerger between T-Mobile and Sprint.
Attorney General Aaron D. Ford initially joined a multi-state lawsuit opposing the merger over concerns that decreased competition in the telecommunications industry would lead to higher cellphone bills, lower quality and coverage for customers, and the loss of local jobs.
The $26 billion merger finalized April 1, 2020, under the T-Mobile name.
As part of a settlement with Nevada last fall, the company agreed to preserve and create jobs in the state, with Ford’s office suggesting T-Mobile start an apprenticeship program.
A year later, that program is underway with the launch of 10 paid apprenticeships: seven at T-Mobile’s Customer Experience Center in Las Vegas and three virtually on the company’s Technology team, according to a pair of announcements Nov. 19 by Ford’s office and T-Mobile.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the efforts of my office that have resulted in opportunities for Nevadans and other states around the country to obtain jobs and learn valuable skills through a structured apprenticeship program,” Ford said in a statement.
T-Mobile has committed to the program — created in coordination with Nevada Governor's Office of Workforce Innovation and the Nevada State Apprenticeship Council — for at least six years, with plans by year four to select 15 apprentices annually with opportunities across Nevada.
For 12 months, apprentices learn new skills through 144 hours of hands-on experience, classroom instruction and training, and mentorship, according to the state.
Mark Krueger, bureau consumer protection investigator at the Nevada AG’s office, told the NNBW T-Mobile will accommodate apprentices that have to work from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was important to have opportunities to people who might be out in the more rural areas or east side or up north,” Krueger said. “For us, it was to get the opportunity for all Nevadans. For T-Mobile, it was to really create opportunities and bring in diverse talent and take advantage of the people who are here in the state. And then train them up and get them to really be a part of the T-Mobile community and company.”
Krueger added thata T-Mobile is “100% responsible for funding and hiring individuals.”
“Nevadans have everything we’re looking for to kick off this program,” Deeanne King, T-Mobile’s chief human resources officer, said in a statement. “They bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives, a passion for creating a great customer experience, and an eagerness to learn new skills.”
King also noted T-Mobile’s Nevada-based apprenticeship program will be the model for its future nationwide program.
Open roles for the new apprenticeship program will be posted to T-Mobile’s career website: t-mobile.com/careers.
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