Hear from Technology Apprenticeship Program graduate Connor Crookshank (TAP 2019) on how his local Alaska station has been pivoting to Zoom meetings and his note to aspiring broadcast engineers during this time.

How have you used what you learned in the Technology Apprenticeship Program since you began your full-time position as a broadcast engineer?

What I learned is networking with others in the industry. Getting to know people in the industry is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It puts a face to a name and also when you go apply to new opportunities they are great ways of recommendation to potential employers as well. Building relationships is one of the best ways to stay afloat in this industry as well as building relationships with vendors. Getting involved with the Society of Broadcast Engineers is another great way to stay on top of the industry.

What are some of the new engineering practices your station has applied since the ongoing public health crisis began?

Some new engineering practices that our station has applied are Zoom meetings! We have also incorporated Zoom into our weekly state affairs program “Alaska Insight” to bring guests including state senators and the governor from their respective living rooms into our studio! Along with the use of remote KVM and TeamViewer,we have set up a usable remote master control for both our FM and TV so we don’t need operators to come in for them to complete their duties. This way we can keep as few people in the building as possible while staying on the air.

What is your message for aspiring engineers entering the broadcasting industry during this time?

My message to aspiring engineers entering the broadcast industry is to take advantage of and apply to as many internship/scholarship opportunities as you can. The Technology Apprenticeship Program is one of the best investments of time you will ever have in your career. You get the chance to meet awesome people in the industry and build connections in this program with people who share the same interest along with industry professionals. I cannot stress to you enough how awesome this opportunity is for aspiring engineers.