IT Certifications

As government and private sector leaders gather this week for the White House jobs summit, CompTIA, the leading trade association for the information technology (IT) industry, has launched a new initiative aimed at boosting high-tech employment opportunities.

CompTIA’s Getting America Back to Work initiative will assist local Workforce Investment Boards across the country and their “One-Stop Centers” to help individuals with adequate technical aptitude gain the training and certifications needed to secure IT jobs.

“The current employment market for high-tech workers can best be described as a paradox,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA. “At a time when unemployment is at its highest level in more than a quarter century, hiring managers struggle to fill tens of thousands of jobs requiring certain high-tech skills.

“Addressing this challenge will shape our country’s future prosperity and competitiveness,” Thibodeaux continued. “It’s a challenge that must be addressed with new schemes and solutions.”

The Getting America Back to Work program is designed to streamline the process that Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Centers use to place unemployed individuals, career changers and people new to the workforce into an IT job. The process has just four steps:

• Assess – MeasureUp, Inc., an assessment and certification practice test company, provides an aptitude test to measure an individual's technical knowledge and ability to determine if they should pursue a career in IT.
• Train – Individuals who show promise can take IT certification classes at one of CompTIA's Education to Careers member schools or commercial training providers that teach to the skills required for certification.
• Certify – CompTIA’s vendor-neutral certifications map to the skills required for many of the open IT jobs across the country; and many employers mandate or prefer IT professionals with industry certifications. At this step, individuals are directed to the right certification test upon completion of their training.
• Place – A job placement tool filters through local job opportunities by zip code and job titles that are consistent with the skills covered by CompTIA certifications to hasten the placement process.

CompTIA’s Getting America Back to Work web site is free. For more information, visit http://www.comptia.org/certifications/backtowork.aspx.

About CompTIA

CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, please visit www.comptia.org.