6/6/2001 -- The Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) announced yesterday that it received a $550,000 grant from the U.S. Dept. of Labor to develop an apprenticeship program for entry-level IT professionals.

Named the Technical Support Specialist Apprenticeship, the program will focus on both on-the-job training as well as supplemental technical instruction. No doubt, entry-level certifications such as CompTIA's A+ and Network+ will be integrated into the program.

In a printed statement, John Venator, president and CEO of CompTIA, said "This grant enables CompTIA to expand our efforts to help solve America's IT worker shortage. Our innovative apprenticeship program will increase the number of skilled, CompTIA-certified, entry-level IT workers available to fill the more than 400,000 currently vacant IT positions in the United States. Programs like these offer a possible solution to the current IT workforce shortage."

The program will be developed from now through December 2002.

For more information on CompTIA and its certification programs, click here. -B.N.