National Apprenticeship Guideline Standards for Key Tech Job Roles Approved by U.S. Department of Labor
CompTIA’s National Guideline Standards establish the foundation for a new national infrastructure to scale apprenticeships in tech occupations
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.
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“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.”
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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.
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