CompTIA Opens Free IT-Ready Boot Camp in Preston, Lancashire to Help Adults Launch Tech Careers

Applications for first class due 16 August

LONDON, July 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CompTIA and its tech workforce charity, Creating IT Futures, will launch a new eight-week information technology (IT) boot camp in Lancashire in the UK.  Funded in partnership with the Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership as part of the DCMS Digital Skills Innovation fund, IT-Ready will offer free technical support training to help adults launch their careers in IT.

"With more than 140,000 IT jobs open in the UK and the average IT salary being 56 percent higher than the national wage, employers need more tech workers and more workers need more opportunities," said Charles Eaton, CEO, Creating IT Futures and vice president, social innovation, CompTIA. "With IT-Ready, we help more adults get the training they need to fill tech jobs, gain an upwardly mobile career, and earn family-sustaining wages."

"We are delighted to be working in partnership with DCMS to support the roll-out of the IT-Ready programme in Lancashire," said Dr. Michele Lawty-Jones, director of the Lancashire Skills Hub, Lancashire LEP. 

"The initiative, which is fully aligned with needs of local business, offers Lancashire residents a fantastic opportunity to develop their digital skills and improve their employment prospects," Lawty-Jones added. "It's also another great example of how the Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership, which is part of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, is raising the skills of our digital workforce to boost productivity while also driving inclusive growth across the county."

Interested adults can visit www.creatingitfutures.org/lancashire by 16 August to enroll in the full-time, classroom-based IT-Ready boot camp classes that begin on 16 September. Classes will be held at Cotton Court Business Centre, Church Street, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 3BY.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, a UK citizen or permanent resident and have 4 GCSEs (including Maths and English) or equivalent. No prior experience in tech is necessary, but a love of technology, a strong level of commitment and a drive to succeed are extremely important.

IT-Ready students receive free tuition, learning materials, tech and soft skills training, and certification vouchers. They learn technical skills to help them successfully pass both parts of the CompTIA A+ certification exam. Plus, students receive professional development training to refine highly sought-after business skills including communication techniques, conflict management, teamworking, critical thinking and problem solving. Graduates are prepared to apply both technical and professional skills starting day one of their first tech job. 

Creating IT Futures developed IT-Ready in 2012, and CompTIA UK Ltd staff will work with local employers to hire IT-Ready graduates in Lancashire. Within four months of graduating, 85 percent of IT-Ready students typically are working in a paid IT role with local area companies, earning £16,000 - £18,000 annually. Graduates move into help desk tech roles, building and maintaining a business's IT environment and assisting its internal and external customers.  

Applicants should apply by 16 August at www.creatingitfutures.org/lancashire. Employers interested in hiring the applicants in November should contact Zeshan Sattar of CompTIA UK Ltd at zsattar@comptia.org.

About Creating IT Futures
Creating IT Futures is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org. 

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the more than 50 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 advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org to learn more.

Media Contacts:

Lisa Fasold
Creating IT Futures
1-630-678-8558
lfasold@comptia.org 

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

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