Valley Electric Association Inc. is looking to bolster its staff throughout the community in which it provides its services.
VEA, which already employs 107 people full time, and plans to fill 38 new positions before the end of 2016.
A major reason for added positions is VEA’s expansion into fiber-optic broadband. This year VEA’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Valley Communications Association, is set to launch Southern Nevada’s first fiber-optic Internet service network. There are already 10 full-time and contract employees who work actively on the project, but that number is expected to jump to 60 by the end of the year.
The fiber-optic broadband service, with speeds of up to one gigabit-per-second, will soon be available to businesses and residents in Pahrump and Fish Lake Valley.
“VEA will bring fast, reliable and affordable fiber-optic broadband Internet service to an underserved part of the state,” Tom Husted, CEO of VEA said. “It’s going add jobs, enhance communications and revolutionize Internet service in our territory.”
The addition of new jobs at VEA is just one part of how the co-op enhances the community. VEA generates almost one job in the community for every full-time VEA employee. With its current 107 full-time employees, VEA supports around 96 indirect and influenced jobs in the area, according to the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Cooperatives.