Center for Employment Opportunities Partners With CompTIA to Help Returning Citizens Learn Tech Skills for Sought-After It Jobs

Free online training program provides CEO participants with a career pathway to high-paying jobs and economic mobility

The Center for Economic Opportunities (CEO), a national nonprofit that provides employment services to people returning from jail or prison, is expanding its efforts to create pathways to IT careers through a new partnership with  CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce.

The partnership, launched  will provide eligible CEO participants and other justice-impacted people access to a 22-week, part-time online training program administered by CompTIA that will help them learn the skills and earn the necessary certifications to pursue IT careers such as help desk technicians, IT specialists and junior systems administrators. On average, these positions have starting salaries between $50,000 and $60,000 a year.

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“The program will provide industry-recognized training to help participants overcome one of the most difficult challenges justice-impacted people face – finding a career that will provide economic mobility so they can return successfully to their communities,” said Dane Worthington, CEO’s director of mobility programs. “With just six months of this training, a returning citizen with little to no IT experience can launch an IT career that will serve them and their families for the rest of their lives.”

The training package covers computer curriculum geared toward the CompTIA IT Fundamentals and CompTIA A+ certifications. CompTIA IT Fundamentals is an introduction to basic IT knowledge and skills that provides digital literacy to help individuals determine if a career in IT is right for them. CompTIA A+ is the industry standard for launching IT careers in today’s digital world and is the preferred qualifying credential for technical support and IT operational roles.

“As organizations increase their reliance on technology, tech support professionals have taken on greater responsibilities,” said Courtney Fong, CompTIA’s chief operating officer and CEO of the CompTIA Tech Career Academy. “They have hands-on involvement in cloud computing, cybersecurity, data and other technology solutions that are vital to business operations. Participants who complete this program will be well prepared for the challenges and opportunities they will encounter.”

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There is strong market demand for technical support workers. In September, employers across the country posted nearly 23,000 job openings for IT support specialists, according to CompTIA’s monthly “Tech Jobs Report.”

CEO will cover the cost of the program for up to 35 participants as well as a computer, a hotspot and ongoing services and support during and after the training to help individuals secure jobs. The first cohort of the program is expected to begin this month and run through April 2023. The response to the program has been strong and there is currently a waiting list for the next training cohort.

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