by
Janet Pinkerton
| May 08, 2012
Veterans desperately need jobs; the IT industry needs skilled workers. CompTIA is urging the supply of motivated veterans to take advantage of the industry demand for skilled IT workers.
Veteran unemployment statistics are staggering—850,000 veterans (including 250,000 from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars) can't find work now, and 1 million more veterans are expected to seek to join the civilian work force over the next five years. Joblessness among youngest veterans (those 18 to 24 years old) is about 30 percent, twice the national average for that age group.
CompTIA believes that a segment of these unemployed vets can help fill the estimated 300,000 IT jobs that remain open in the United States, especially now that funding from the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Workforce Investment Act, and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment VetSuccess program can be used for veterans to pursue IT training and certification.
CompTIA created its Troops to Tech Careers program to provide veterans with opportunities and resources to build a civilian career in the rapidly growing IT field. The program's website includes information about how to find IT training locations and select the right IT certifications to pursue, and also a corporate registry of companies giving hiring priority to IT certified veterans. For more information, contact [email protected].