CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux says that there are millions of people looking for new opportunities. CompTIA is an important player in unlocking the potential for the workforce in this unprecedented transition in the labor marketplace. There are hundreds of thousands of tech job openings. It is crucial that the entire industry works together to remove barriers and obstacles, and to find ways to attract people who are interested in a career in tech. The career intent is a group of people who are actively looking for new, more stable opportunities to grow their careers and find their next career path.
In the past, approximately 10% of people would have moved between jobs during times of transition in the labor markets. Today that number is staggeringly 35%. The global tech workforce comprises approximately 36-40 million people. This means that millions of people are looking for new opportunities. Why is there a shortage in tech workers for the many in-demand jobs in the industry, when so many people are looking for new opportunities around the world?
“The problem is that we have what we call a confidence gap. CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux spoke during a keynote presentation at the CompTIA EMEA Member and Partners Conference in London. The problem is getting them to close this gap. This industry has the largest confidence gap of any industry. It is larger than medicine, data, and many other industries that people consider to be more important than tech. Thibodeaux stated that people believe it is more expensive, takes longer, requires more skills, and is more difficult than they think. The IT industry ranks fifth in career preferences for individuals with career intent behind healthcare, real estate and marketing, business, and finance.
The industry’s biggest challenge is to get people over this confidence gap that affects all demographics, but is more severe among rural workers and minorities.
CompTIA Undertakes Project Agora Initiative
Thibodeaux stated that “we need to be much better at telling a consistent story about how great it is to work for the tech industry.” He stated that it was essential to provide a long-term career path for employees and to invest in them.
“The only way the industry can get the talent it needs is to fight for it. Thibodeaux said that we cannot assume that there will be a flood of people coming into the industry in the future. CompTIA announced Project Agora, the Greek word for market, to help it fight for the millions of people we need in the industry around the world.
Project Agora’s goal is to be the best place to build, grow and supercharge your tech career. It is designed to attract career-minded individuals to help them see the many possibilities of a tech career. It also provides them with a multitude of learning opportunities and engagement options to help them start and sustain their tech career.
How can you contribute to the advancement of the industry?
Thibodeaux stated that there are approximately 30 job positions in the tech industry. This covers about 90% of tech employment. CompTIA will compile 200 profiles of people doing these jobs as part of the project. This will help to show what it’s like to work in tech, what the challenges are, and what you love about your job.
This project also includes the compilation of a pool of approximately 100 instructors who have real-world experience to provide industry training for the next generation. There are hundreds of guest lecturers who can share their experiences with us about what it is like to do these jobs every day. He said, “We understand that not everyone is born to teach, but everyone was born to share, so the ability to bring in these real-world stories to help us understand is really important.”
“Maybe someone was hacked by ransomware or phishing and was able to overcome it. Thibodeaux said that this would make for an incredible guest lecture. It doesn’t need to be an hour-long video. You can describe the key points in about 15-20 minutes.
The industry has not been able to realize the full potential of the work it does every day for far too long. CompTIA is looking for cases that explain what you do and how it happens. The case allows you to track your progress and provide insight.
