Your location shows "Northern California", so you should contact these guys:
EMTI offers a broad range of courses for the diverse Marine and Offshore sectors. We provide specialized training, as well as fully compliant courses in accordance with the guidelines of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Standards for Training, Certification and Watchkeeping...
elkinstraining.com
David Byrd runs Elkins and they do a great job. I took the GROL course from them a few years ago. It's a couple of days of training, and the instructor I had was an ex-USAF guy that really knew his stuff. Not only did he teach the basics, but he gave real world examples, as well as some USAF stories that kept the class interesting.
I won't lie, I'm not great at the maths, but some of that math stuff really made my brain hurt.
They do the course out in Tamales CA. It's an out of the way little town on the coast, but they've got a training room there that's located at the little hotel. Worked out well for me. I was able to drive up there in a few hours, spent a few nights and head home. The course includes a discount on the hotel rate.
It's not a full on deep dive into the subject material. It assumes you have some radio knowledge. It's not a "ham cram" type session, either. Sort of somewhere in between. It was what I was looking for.
You can buy GROL study guides, but they are similar to ham radio study guides as they give you some of the info and help you memorize the test questions.
The GROL is useful if you are looking to get into the industry. Many require it, even though an actual GROL isn't required for the work. It's sort of a "I know the basics" proof of knowledge thing.
BDA design companies usually require a GROL.
PG&E radio shop used to require it to work for them.
Many government agencies will have it listed as a requirement "or equivalent"
If you are going to be working with marine or aircraft radio systems, a GROL is required.
But other than that, it's just a thing that some put on the job requirements.
It certainly won't hurt to have it. You may find that you never use it, though.
For me at work, it's mostly about having a proof of knowledge and adds some "street cred". My employer doesn't require it, but they do require a certain amount of training per year and will fund it, so I was able to get it fully paid for.
As for getting in the industry….
There's a lot of competition as radio shops disappear. Most radio guys tend to be older, so some are just retiring.
When jobs get posted, there are often a ton of people apply, but most are not qualified. Having some proof of knowledge will be required if you want to be taken seriously. A GROL won't necessarily do that, but it may get your resume looked at.
As someone new to the industry, it's very unlikely you are going to walk in the door and immediately be programming up public safety radios, building out radio systems, etc.
New guys will often get put in the install bay working under a more experienced tech. That will mean running wiring in vehicles, installing equipment under guidance, etc. Site work will be closely supervised by a more experienced tech until they know you.
If I was looking to get into the industry now:
Sure, I'd get my GROL, but that isn't enough.
You absolutely need some solid IT skills. Like Cisco certifications. You'll need to know how to build out IP networks, routers, all that stuff. Not home router programming, you need industrial IP knowledge.
Tower climbing certifications might boost your chances. A Comtrain certification might help you:
Comtrain USA – Tower Safety and Rescue, Fall Protection, Competent Rigging, Online Classes
Ham radio license won't get you much. It's sort of a given in the industry that if you are doing this sort of work, you would be able to pass a ham test in your sleep. Many of us have our ham tickets, but don't expect it to be a foot in the door for you. Hams don't have the best reputation in the industry. When you get out to shared tower sites (ham stuff at commercial towers), you'll see what I mean.
Be ready to work, get dirty, long hours, missing lunch, dinner, etc. 24x7 call out, lack of sleep goes with the job in many cases.
If you are looking for a government job (state/county/city), you'll need to have a clean record. If you are going to be touching stuff in PSAP's, you'll likely need a background check. Law enforcement agencies and PSAPs get audited by the state and feds periodically. They have to prove that people have been checked. Our PD chief, many many years ago, wanted to make sure I had been cleared. Since there wasn't a POST background check for "radio guy", they decided that since I spent time in dispatch, I should have the same background check as them. I had to do a 30 something page questionnaire, finger prints, financial check, background investigation, came and visited all my neighbors and friends, college/HS transcripts, and a bunch of other stuff. So, if you are going in the direction of government work, make sure you are clean.
Locally, our county shop tends to hire guys from the auto dealers service departments. They want guys who know their way around cars and can do a proper install job. That's where they start. While they are doing installs, they get trained on the rest of the systems. A lot of training comes from manufacturers, or on the job. Eventually they get moved up into bench tech positions, working in the field, etc. It takes time to move up...
It's great work, and I absolutely love my job. It's seriously hard work, and the responsibility places on me are pretty huge. The pay is good, but I work for every penny I get.
But, make sure you are ready for it. It's not a walk in the park. I'm still waiting for my cushy government job….
