CompTIA has long believed it, and a recent gathering of U.S. veterans in Chicago confirmed it: Veterans and returning service members need a program that helps them qualify for IT jobs. With the right IT job skills and aptitude, a veteran could take advantage of career opportunities in the U.S., where more than 450,000 IT positions remain unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates.

To address both veterans’ and U.S. industry needs, CompTIA on Tuesday, August 23rd, unveiled Troops to Tech Careers, a new program aimed at helping veterans transition from the armed forces to the civilian IT workforce. The announcement was made at the Illinois Warrior Summit and Fourth Annual Welcome Home Celebration, a Chicago event that assists thousands of veterans and service members with obtaining information about benefits, employment, education, housing and legal services.

During the Illinois Warrior Summit, veterans of all ages—from Vietnam era to today—told CompTIA workforce development staff at the show that jobs are their main concern, and that chronic unemployment, a common problem. Such challenges are expected to grow, as more than one million service members return from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars between 2011 and 2016 to seek retraining and employment. This is in addition to an estimated one million veterans currently unemployed.

“When we tell them (veterans) the number of IT jobs that are open out there, their eyes just light up,” said Gretchen Koch, CompTIA’s senior director of workforce development programs, who attended the summit.

CompTIA is working with New Horizons Computer Learning Centers and the U.S. Department of Labor’s One-Stop Career Centers to launch Troops to Tech Careers pilot programs in 23 cities across the country, including Austin, Texas; Chicago; Detroit; Jacksonville, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; and in Southern California.

Troops to Tech Careers will work through the public workforce system to help returning veterans with the aptitude and interest in a technical IT career to receive the training, credentialing and job placement assistance needed to join the IT workforce. Veterans will be directed to training options appropriate for their interests and skill sets, including preparation for CompTIA IT skills certifications. Veterans can use federal resources to support their re-entry into the civilian IT workforce. Beginning October 1, 2011, for example, Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits can be used for non-college degree programs, on-the-job and apprenticeship training, and correspondence training.

CompTIA developed Troops to Tech Careers after its workforce development staff and New Horizons representatives toured multiple One-Stop Career Centers in Chicago in late June. Local Veterans Employment Representatives at each center supported the association’s desire to create a dedicated IT jobs program for veterans. Armed with that informal but credible input, CompTIA began putting the components together for the program.

After the pilot, CompTIA plans to expand Troops to Tech Careers with other training partners, community colleges, more One-Stop Career Centers, and, ultimately, a network of employers interested in hiring veterans for IT jobs. For more information about Troops to Tech Careers, contact [email protected].