CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association, completed research this year that found there are, on average, 14 unfilled IT positions in U.S. companies. This can result in delayed projects, missed opportunities and economic losses for these companies.
With an estimated 12 months minimum of on-the-job training required for an entry-level employee to reach full potential, it seemed clear to CompTIA that there is a need in the industry for an apprenticeship program to start IT workers on the road to professional mastery.
"The apprenticeship approach is an economical and efficient way of developing skilled and competent IT workers," says CompTIA Vice President of Workforce Development Neill Hopkins, who notes that his association has determined that the best IT preparation involves a combination of "classroom instruction, on-the-job training and demonstration of progress through professional certification."
Now, with help from a U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration grant, an IT-specific apprenticeship program is in the pilot phase.
Among the pilot sites are Henkels & McCoy, a national utility construction contractor, which is piloting an IT network services and cabling apprenticeship program, and Exodus IT Services of Hickory Hill, N.C., which provides a network services apprenticeship program to move entry-level employees from CompTIA A+ to Network+ certifications. Pilot hub sites include the Virginia Community College System, which recruits local employers to participate in IT security apprenticeships, and the Cosmopolitan Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, which is recruiting minority-owned small businesses. DeVry University will provide the classroom instruction portion of the program.
According to CompTIA, the association submits the final program of classroom instruction, on-the-job training and standards for each IT apprenticeship to the Department of Labor for registration. Through the use of standards, this procedure ensures that best practices are followed and that all parties involved-apprentices, sponsors and employers-receive the maximum benefit from the program.
"With a federally approved program in place, there will be no misalignment between what a company expects and what a company gets," says Hopkins. "For the company, it?s a pay-for-performance process; for the worker, it's a clear, unambiguous path toward a lifelong career."
CompTIA, a business-education partner of ACTE, is a nonprofit association providing the technology community standards in the areas of Internet-enabled service provision, e-commerce, vendor-neutral technical certification, CRM public policy, workforce development and training. For more information, visit .
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