Inside the Cherokee Nation’s fiber program where graduates keep landing jobs

Whether it’s the price tag of a degree, or the uncertain prospects coming out of one, more job seekers are prioritizing stability. While larger education frameworks play a big role in defining the default pathways, many small towns and rural communities across the country quietly shape the entry into alternative options like skilled trade work. Turning the heads of some young workers, technical fields are increasingly being recognized as a route to meet this priority. On the Cherokee Nation reservation in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, a fiber technician training program is connecting its community members to one such pathway. As part of the Cherokee Nation Career Readiness Act, the program helps train members in fiber optics — the underpinning infrastructure for internet connectivity around the world. A clear backbone of the program’s success is its trainer, Jeremy Sixkiller, and the close, hands-on relationships he builds with each class.