CompTIA Newsroom

Synergies provide unique opportunity to expand and diversify the tech workforce

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. – CompTIA, the world’s leading information technology (IT) certification and training body, today announced the strategic acquisition of TestOut, a proven market leader, providing comprehensive delivery solutions for training, courseware, online labs, performance-based exams and more.

Through this acquisition, two mission-driven organizations join forces to extend their best-in-class learning solutions, industry-recognized certifications and career accelerators to students, professionals and academic institutions the world over.

Utah-based TestOut Corporation, launched in 1991, has helped millions of individuals acquire the skills they need to progress in their education and careers. TestOut’s full feature learning platform, LabSim, enables students to access a broad range of hands-on learning content that builds “career-ready IT skills” while providing educators with the tools they need to help these students succeed.

“TestOut has an amazing team of dedicated professionals driven by a customer-first mindset,” said Todd Thibodeaux, CompTIA president and CEO. “They’ve built a great company, developing world-class learning solutions for a broad array of students and instructors. The combination of our two companies will greatly accelerate CompTIA’s training and certification offerings into more and more tech and IT job roles.”

TestOut CEO Noel Vallejo believes the two companies are well aligned.

“Over the past 10 years, I have often thought that if I were going to sell TestOut, CompTIA would be at the top of my list of potential buyers,” Vallejo said. “We fit well together. Both organizations are committed to helping individuals build a better life for themselves through technology education and certification.”

Employer hiring activity for technology and digital job roles reached an all-time high in 2022 with over four million employer job postings.[1] Over the next decade, projections indicate demand for tech workers will grow at twice the rate of the overall labor force. In areas such as cybersecurity, data, cloud infrastructure and software development growth rates are even higher, while momentum continues to build for digital literacy across all occupation categories.

“There is a critical economic need to break the cycle of persistent talent shortages, and an equally critical need to expand opportunity and diversity in the tech workforce,” Thibodeaux said. “CompTIA and TestOut share a passion and commitment to unlocking the potential of every student, instructor, career changer or tech professional reaching for the next rung.”

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for unlocking the potential of the tech industry and its workforce. https://www.comptia.org/

About TestOut
TestOut’s dedication to a “show what you know” philosophy creates a unique training experience that seamlessly integrates learning content, hands-on simulations, assessments, and educator tools into an effective online platform and nearly 20 technology courses. TestOut’s scaffolded approach to learning and commitment to serving educators has helped millions of students effectively obtain workforce skills and prepare for industry certifications. https://www.testout.com/

Media Contact
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
sostrowski@comptia.org
+1 630-678-8468

[1] Covers U.S. employers. Source: CompTIA analysis of Lightcast job posting data