5/15/2002 -- Last week at its Strategies 2002 conference, The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) announced that it has entered into a partnership with Certiport, the organization that administers Microsoft's Office User Specialist (MOUS) certification program, to create "fully-integrated, easy-to-follow career path" for new entrants to the IT field.

The recommended path starts with Certiport's Internet & Computing Core (IC3) certification, which tests basic computing competencies, followed by MOUS for desktop skills then CompTIA's A+ hardware support title.

"[Certiport's] certifications give developing IT professionals practical, real-world productivity skills that build a solid foundation for CompTIA 's A+ certification," said Lutz Ziob, vice president of certification at CompTIA. "The combination of Certiport and CompTIA certifications is the gateway to virtually any IT certification or career."

To encourage participation in this path, CompTIA will offer its A+ exams at a 30 percent discount to anyone holding a MOUS or Certiport's IC3 certification.

Candidates interested in finding out more about the discount can e-mail Certiport at .

More information about the above certifications and how they relate to specific job roles can be found on CompTIA's Tech Career Compass (TCC), a new Web site that maps IT career areas to specific skills and corresponding training and certification. Located at www.tcc.org, the site currently details more than 100 job titles in six distinct areas of IT.

"TechCareer Compass was developed because the industry needs a definition -- definition of the job roles, tasks and job titles in IT, so that we can identify and match appropriately skilled individuals to open positions," said Neil Hopkins, vice president of workforce development for CompTIA. "The TCC is a tool used to map a clear career path."

The site is currently available to everyone; however, future access may be limited to CompTIA members.

For more information on CompTIA, click here. For more information on Certiport, click here. - B.N.