Comprehensive education and training guideline standards aimed at preparing apprentices to fill critical technology occupations across America have been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The announcement was made today by Maher & Maher and CompTIA, partners in a bold new effort to use Registered Apprenticeship Programs as a way to increase the number of skilled technology workers and expand career opportunities for diverse populations, including women, individuals with disabilities and people of color.
The two organizations were selected by the Department of Labor to promote Registered Apprenticeship, a proven workforce development model that enables employers to access and train larger talent pools of workers to fill high-demand tech positions across industry sectors.
CompTIA’s National Guideline Standards exist for three entry-level job roles – tech support specialist, network support specialist and cybersecurity support technician. These three job roles, with others to follow, form the basis for the CompTIA Apprenticeships for Tech framework.
“Apprenticeships are a proven method for building skills and preparing people for employment, but it’s a tool that has been under-utilized in the tech workforce,” said Amy Kardel, vice president for strategic workforce relationships at CompTIA. “We intend to demonstrate to employers in all industries that by investing in training through apprenticeships they can gain access to a diverse pool of candidates and create a predictable pipeline to meet their tech hiring needs.”
The announcement was applauded by organizations around the country that intend to utilize CompTIA’s National Guideline Standards.
“ARIZONA@WORK and the AZ Department of Economic Security registered apprenticeship office is launching the first National Guideline Standards in Arizona with Maher & Maher and the CompTIA Apprenticeship for Tech initiative,” said Willie Higgins, registered apprenticeship director with the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Apprenticeship Office. “This collaboration to meet the hiring needs of local employers for tech occupations is a win-win for our diverse population and for the future of a skilled workforce in Arizona.”
“We are excited to be a part of apprenticeship as a way to train and develop talent using nationally recognized standards,” said Jen Bruno, global head of human resources for Reputation, a global leader in reputation experience management.
“This partnership will enable Reputation to create ‘earn and learn’ opportunities for diverse candidates,” Bruno added. “Our business is committed to a talent strategy that allows us to continue building the leading platform for reputation experience management. To achieve this strategy we will focus on a robust apprenticeship program with talent that reflects our company values and community.”
Employer demand for tech talent and career opportunities for individuals remain strong across much of the county. CompTIA’s newly published Cyberstates 2021 report projects growth in net tech employment across 48 states this year, with 245,000 new jobs created in areas such as IT support, cybersecurity and other technology infrastructure-related positions.[1] In March employers across the country advertised job openings for more than 307,000 IT positions.[2]
This effort brings together two organizations with years of demonstrated success in helping individuals attain their career goals and companies meet their talent needs. Maher is a recognized leader in building innovative and successful apprenticeship initiatives. CompTIA, the global leader in vendor-neutral technical education and certifications in a range of technology skills, has awarded nearly 2.8 million certifications to technology professionals. This powerful partnership brings together the advantages of apprenticeship on a national scale to businesses in need of tech workers, while jumpstarting thousands of new careers and increasing access to tech occupations for underrepresented groups.
For more information, visit www.comptia.org/content/lp/apprenticeships-for-tech.
About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org.
About Maher & Maher
Maher & Maher is a talent development firm that helps organizations view their work through the eye of their customer. We partner with our clients in identifying ways to improve workflows, align resources, and develop people to excel at fulfilling the needs of the customers they serve. Maher provides key services essential to organizational success, including business integration, change management, performance management, continuous improvement, and workforce and talent development. In combination these help organizations work in an aligned fashion, producing efficiency, increasing workforce capacity and engagement, and achieving desired outcomes. We go one step further by assisting in the creation of a talent pipeline prepared to do the work using proven skill development strategies, including apprenticeships, work-based learning, and formal and informal training solutions. Maher & Maher is now a wholly owned affiliate of the American Institutes for Research® (AIR®), dedicated to providing top-quality research and technical assistance, and with AIR, is exceptionally positioned to contribute to the complex challenges facing society. Visit https://mahernet.com/.
Media Contact
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
+1 630-678-8468
sostrowski@comptia.org
[1] CompTIA Cyberstates 2021, March 31, 2021, www.cyberstates.org/
[2] CompTIA Tech Jobs Report, April 2, 2021, https://www.comptia.org/content/tech-jobs-report
