Arizona State University is the latest organization to join CompTIA Apprenticeships for Tech, a national initiative to help employers fill current and long-term IT staffing needs through an “earn and learn” apprenticeship program that is also creating employment opportunities for people from a diversity of backgrounds.
The university is a multi-employer sponsor serving employers and apprentices under a standards-based Registered Apprenticeship with the Arizona Department of Economic Security. ASU is actively recruiting employers and apprentices for tech project coordinator positions.
“IT projects are often challenging and require strong support to achieve project milestones and provide deliverables,” said Raghu Santanam, Senior Associate Dean, Executive Education, Corporate Partnerships and Lifelong Learning & Principal Investigator, Digital Workforce Apprenticeship Partnership, W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University. “The body of knowledge for IT project management incorporates best practices to instill an agile mindset in the project team.
“Project coordinators fill a critical need in project teams and grow into leadership roles in managing large-scale IT projects,” Santanam continued. “Apprenticeships in this technical role are ideal for beginning an exciting career path in IT. We applaud our AZNext employer partners for their innovative leadership in participating in this program.”
In June, U.S. employers listed job openings for more than 29,000 positions in IT project management.[1]
“The strong demand for IT project management skills reflects the reality that technology is a critical component in virtually every project, whether small, medium or large,” said Amy Kardel, senior vice president for workforce relations at CompTIA.
Training for tech project coordinator apprentices follows National Guideline Standards for the job role developed by CompTIA and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL). Apprentices receive on-the-job experience and classroom instruction in the basics of project management, general IT terminology and concepts, business acumen, employability skills and other areas. The standards also include guidance on the qualifications and recruitment of prospective apprentices, the duration of training and a recommended wage scale.
The USDOL selected AIR, a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of education, health and the workforce, and CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry and workforce, to serve as a national Industry Intermediary for expansion of apprenticeship in tech occupations.
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