Executives from CompTIA and ConnectWise join Washington celebration to mark the finish of the 120-Day Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Sprint

Executives from CompTIA and ConnectWise are participating in event for the conclusion of the national Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Sprint.

The White House, US Department of Labor, US Department of Commerce, other federal agencies and private sector partners launched the sprint in July to address the cybersecurity field’s current job openings and long-term job quality and retention issues. As a result of this national effort there are more than 170 cybersecurity programs in development and more than 7,000 apprentices that have been hired in fewer than 120 days.

Jen Locklear, chief people officer at ConnectWise, the world’s leading software company dedicated to the success of IT solution providers; and Amy Kardel, senior vice president for workforce relationships at CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry and workforce, are among the tech industry leaders participating in today’s celebration.

Together the two organizations are expanding the nation’s cybersecurity and technology workforce through a Registered Apprenticeship program that pairs new IT professionals trained and certified by CompTIA with technology businesses that are members of the ConnectWise partner community.

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“The conclusion of the National Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Sprint is an important milestone that we are proud to be a part of, but work to develop cyber talent continues,” Kardel said. “Each day we are reminded of the cyber threats that we face as individuals, as organizations and as a nation. The strongest defenses begin with a cyber workforce that is highly trained and certified. CompTIA’s commitment to building that workforce is unwavering.”

“It’s encouraging that an issue like the need for increasing cybersecurity talent is taken so seriously by our government and communities,” said Locklear. “ConnectWise is honored to participate in this important milestone and eager to connect our partners with the talented apprentices who will come out of CompTIA’s training programs.”

In the 12-month period ending in September 2022, U.S. employers listed 769,736 openings for cybersecurity positions or jobs requiring cybersecurity skills, according to  CyberSeek™, the cybersecurity workforce analytics platform developed by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education at NIST, Lightcast and CompTIA. Employer demand for cybersecurity workers grew 2.4 times faster than the overall rate across the U.S. economy in that period.

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CompTIA and ConnectWise offer training, certification and employment opportunities in high-demand tech occupations, including cybersecurity support technician. Training is based on National Guideline Standards created by CompTIA and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. These standards detail the competencies in technical and employability skills that apprentices need to join the IT workforce.

ConnectWise, through its extensive network of IT service providers, is the employer partner in the apprenticeship initiative. These service providers deliver technology solutions and support to small, mid-size and large customers in all industries and locales, placing them on the front line of cybersecurity support for businesses. Dozens of service providers have already expressed interest in participating in the apprenticeship program.

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