We Want You to Contribute to CompTIA’s Workforce Development Public Policy

The CompTIA Public Advocacy team wants your input and is forming a working group within CompTIA membership that will focus on workforce development issues.  With a new Congress coming in to town in a few months, we will have an opportunity to solidify our standing as a leader on this issue and there will be a lot for the working group to do!

You should join this group if you are interested in the following areas:

Cybersecurity Workforce: There is a great deal of collaboration that can be done with our government and private-sector partners on this critical issue, including the NICE initiative and the recently announced DHS Task Force on Workforce.

Legislation: The Workforce Investment Act and Perkins are both up for reauthorization by Congress and there are several other legislative proposals that CompTIA can help shape and develop.

IT-Skills Gap: With approximately 300,000 open IT jobs at any given time, there is more that must be done to close this gap by expanding STEM education at the K-12 level and presenting clear career paths in our industry.  We need to get people educated, trained, certified and on the job.

Military Veterans: With an above average unemployment rate but with skills and discipline that are critical in the work place, the men and women who served our country are prime candidates for entering the IT world in their civilian life.

The first order of business will be to develop workforce principles that will be our guiding post as we navigate the workforce waters.  Once our principles are drafted, they will also serve as an effective leave behind for Hill visits so that members of Congress and their staff know where we stand on the issues.  Additionally, this working group will be an ongoing effort to keep each other informed of developments and opportunities in all of these areas.

Please email me at rparker@comptia.org if you are interested in joining the working group.