Initiative led by CompTIA and Maher & Maher aims to expand, diversify the US tech workforce
CompTIA and Maher & Maher, partners in a new national apprenticeship initiative designed to diversify and expand the technology workforce across America, announced that CityWorks DC has joined the skills and career building effort.
CityWorks DC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping young people growing up in the District of Columbia secure meaningful work that can support a family, build personal wealth and drive economic growth in the region.
“CityWorks DC, CompTIA and Maher & Maher have a shared vision for the future: DC residents, especially underrepresented populations, securing high-wage, high-demand careers in technology,” said Lateefah Durant, vice president for innovation at CityWorks DC. “This partnership will provide local residents with greater access to family-sustaining jobs in IT through expanding opportunities for Registered Apprenticeship.
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“We know that developing an equitable, diverse and inclusive tech talent pipeline is a good business strategy — and an imperative for our community,” Durant continued. “CityWorks DC looks forward to adding to their occupation choices using CompTIA’s National Guideline Standards and engaging with CompTIA’s vast network of employers to meet their talent needs with individuals ready for work and eager to contribute to the bottom-line.”
CompTIA and Maher & Maher were selected by the U.S. Department of Labor to lead this apprenticeship initiative and grow the number of workers trained and certified to fill high-demand tech positions, especially groups that are under-represented in the tech workforce, including women, people of color and individuals with disabilities.
The Labor Department has approved National Guideline Standards for Registered Apprenticeship Programs in 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 Apprenticeship for Tech framework.
CityWorks DC will help with the recruitment of Washington area organizations interested in hiring apprentices to enhance their internal technology staffs.
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“We can demonstrate to employers of any size and from any industry that by investing in training through apprenticeship they can gain access to a diverse pool of candidates and create a predictable pipeline to meet their tech hiring needs,” said Amy Kardel, vice president for strategic workforce relationships at CompTIA.
Employer demand for tech talent and career opportunities for individuals remain strong across much of the country. CompTIA’s newly published Cyberstates 2021™report projects growth in net tech employment across 48 states this year, with 245,000 net new tech jobs created in areas such as IT support, cybersecurity and other technology infrastructure-related positions.[1] This demand for technology workers includes the Washington, D.C., metro area. According to CompTIA’s latest Tech Jobs Report, D.C. employers advertised job openings for nearly 17,000 core technology positions in March.
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