Sunday, June 16, 2002

The New Tech Apprentice
Many people would see a one-year, minimum-wage, entry-level network support apprenticeship as a job from hell. To Shellie Chambers, it's a gift from heaven.

…a new IT apprentice program funded by a $550,000 U.S. Department of Labor grant and administered by CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association), a trade association that develops vendor-neutral certifications. The idea is to provide entry-level workers a path to break into the IT profession while also giving employers a way to ensure that new workers have needed skills—something that IT certifications alone can't always guarantee.

The pilot projects use a CompTIA-created program that includes classroom instruction, along with standards and methodologies for on-the-job-training and task lists related to each IT apprenticeship. Using what will ultimately be a DOL-approved apprenticeship model as a foundation, CompTIA is crafting something it said it hopes employers by year's end will be able to customize as their standard for training entry-level workers.

Experts say such a model could make it easier for entry-level workers to gain a toehold in IT, something that has become more difficult due to the increasing reliance on IT certification. "The IT industry has had a great deal of trouble providing entry-level people with that first six to 12 months of experience," said Patrick von Schlag, director of worldwide content strategy for Global Knowledge Network Inc., an IT training provider in Cary, N.C. "People used to get jobs working for really small companies that were willing to hire and train. But the advent of certifications has hurt that because now even small companies don't want to say they hire uncertified people."
http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s=25210&a=27910,00.asp

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