Jump Into IT with CompTIA Tech Career Academy

The technology sector of the global information technology (IT) workforce has been understaffed for decades. There are plenty of employment opportunities out there for anyone familiar with even the rudiments of IT — and the more you know, the greater the possibilities.

Workforce research conducted in the United States by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the median annual salary for all computer and information technology occupations in 2020 was $91,250. That figure is a little lower if you zero in on computer support specialists: $55,510.

Even so, computer supports specialists are in high demand, and the support field is quite often a springboard to better positions with higher pay in fields like computer networking, cybersecurity, and computer programming. And once you're on the job, you can build up your IT skill set while cashing a paycheck at the same time.

There are a number of programs out there that offer training for computer support specialistd to help individuals with little or no IT experience or background enter the IT workforce. GoCertify's own Ed Tittel has written about Google's Grow with Google program for IT certificates.

Today we're talking about a similar option: CompTIA Tech Career Academy. If you're willing to work hard, and you can pull together the cost of tuition, then you could jump into the IT support field in just three months. CompTIA launches new Tech Career Academy sessions throughout the calendar year, and the window to apply for admission to the sessions in either spring (March 21 through July 13) or summer (June 6 through Sept. 29) is open right now.

The 16-week IT-Ready Technical Support course, which requires attendance at daily three-hour class sessions, is available online. You can take classes either in the morning, from 9 a.m. to noon, or at night, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Perhaps the best part is that everything is online, so you can participate from anywhere.

There is a price tag: The IT-Ready Technical Support program costs $8,500, paid upfront. State and federal scholarship and grant programs can cover some of that cost, however. And CompTIA itself offers a variety of discounts, grants, loans, and payment plans.

So this is a bet-on-yourself situation that requires commitment, energy, and self-discipline above and beyond managing the cost. At the end of the course, however, you'll have the opportunity to earn CompTIA's A+ certification for computer support specialists, and CompTIA offers career placement assistance to program graduates as well.

If you don't have the resources to enter the program right now, then you can monitor CompTIA's online campus schedule and plan to jump in at a later date.

There are some Tech Career Academy prerequisites. For starters, participants must be 18 or older, must have graduated from high school (or have completed a GED program), and must be eligible to work in the United States. If you align with the profile, however, and you're ready to embark on an exciting career path, then the potential for success is vast and enticing.