Democratizing Access to IT Careers: Learning People and CompTIA

Learning People is an award-winning education provider, focusing on career-ready education across many aspects of technology like coding, cybersecurity, IT and project management. Their vision is to give everyone the opportunity to realize their potential and change their life. With over 11 years of industry experience, their people-focused approach, professionally accredited courses and expert support enable students to achieve their career goals and transform their futures.

Learning People serves a diverse group of learners, reflecting the desire of many people who break the “typical” IT stereotype to find their niche in this in-demand field.

“Learning People serves around 25% women – a higher proportion of women than we often sees in the IT training world or in university courses,” said Mark Wheatland, head of curriculum, Learning People. Their programs also tend to enroll many who identify as Black, Asian and other underrepresented groups, as well as those from economically marginalized populations.

“Through our marketing, we are reaching people who might not otherwise come to us or think they are the right ‘type’ to work in IT,” Wheatland shared. “We have strong female leadership and address the confidence gap head-on. And because our courses are flexible and online, people who are career changers and already in the workforce can fit their studies around life and work.”

Realigning Supply and Demand

Wheatland believes that Learning People’s focus is an important one in that it aims to realign the supply and demand of IT talent at a time when the world simply can’t afford misalignment.

“So many people are missing out on the opportunity to have a good, well-paid career in a sector that’s just crying out for talent,” he emphasized.

Once enrolled in a Learning People training course, learners have access to mentors, as they work their way up to taking any number of exams that will culminate in industry-recognized certifications. Wheatland explained, a typical student would follow the pathway of pursuing CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ to become qualified for an entry-level career in IT.

Sharing an Important Mission

Why did Learning People choose to partner with CompTIA? Wheatland explained that while the vendor-neutrality of CompTIA products is highly attractive, there’s another aspect to it that has kept the partnership alive for nearly a decade.

“If you want to work in [tech] support, CompTIA is vendor-neutral, and their certifications form the bedrock of a career. That lends our offerings credibility. Employers recognize it and it gets people a foot in the door. But there’s a second piece to why we work with CompTIA, and that’s because they are aligned to our goal. We see the world similarly in terms of our mission to democratize IT and IT careers. We see firsthand the skills gap and we’re determined to play a role in closing it,” Wheatland said.

Learning People is making an undeniable impact on the demographics it serves, and you don’t have to look hard to find stories of lives that have been changed through their training programs.

“We had a scaffolder who had never set foot in an office who is now working full-time in IT support,” Wheatland explained. “There was a woman who worked as a chef for seven years and decided she wanted to change careers. She had already been putting in long hours, so she knew she could do it. She worked through her certifications with us and changed her career successfully.”

Wheatland also shares that some learners come to them from higher education, because they need to bolster their resumes with employable skills that aren’t typically gained in a university setting alone.

“Another learner came here because his father wanted him to go to university, and he did, but he hated it. He completed his certifications with us and is now working for a well-known anti-malware company.”

What do all these stories have in common? From Wheatland’s perspective, it all comes down to two things. “What we’re doing is helping people gain the confidence to approach a career in tech, and then giving them the skills they need to open that door.”

Interested in becoming a CompTIA Authorized Partner? Learn More.