This week CompTIA let it be known that it's looking for a
few good companies to enlist in an effort to put U.S. military veterans to work
in the tech industry after they've served. The IT industry group launched a new
corporate registry of companies committed to hiring soldiers, sailors and
Marines in civilian jobs once they leave the military.
A part of CompTIA's Troops to Tech Careers program, the
registry will give veterans and their spouses the inside scoop on jobs at
companies that sign up. Started up in August, Troops to Tech was created to
smooth over the sometimes difficult transition between the battlefield and the
boardroom that many veterans feel acutely. At the moment there are currently an
estimated one million veterans out of work and between 2011 and 2016 more than
one million more service members are expected to return from the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan to seek employment outside the military.
CompTIA teamed up with New Horizons Computer Learning
Centers and the Department of Labor's One Stop Career Centers to create pilot
programs in 33 cities across 17 states for Troops to Tech. At the career
centers veterans are given an initial aptitude and skills assessment to see if
they're suited to the technology field. They're then directed to the IT
education and training options appropriate for their interests and skill sets,
with training tracks eventually leading to being tested to earn CompTIA IT
skills certifications.
The registry helps with the final, most important step of
aiding with the job hunt following the achievement of certification.
"The corporate registry is intended for companies
that already actively recruit America's veterans, and employers interested in
starting a recruitment program," said Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief
executive officer, CompTIA. "The new registry, along with existing
resources on IT training and certification options, will provide veterans with
all the tools they need to join the IT workforce."
