WASHINGTON – CompTIA, the world’s leading technology association, released the following statement from CompTIA’s executive vice president for public advocacy Elizabeth Hyman on the introduction of the CHANCE in Tech Act.
“The U.S. is expected to have 1.8 million unfilled tech jobs by 2024. The deficit is not because of a lack of desire by American workers, but a dearth of workers with the necessary IT skills. If neglected, the IT skills gap will affect our country’s ability to protect national security interests and to compete economically on the global stage. The CHANCE in Tech Act introduced today will address the growing IT talent challenge by encouraging public-private funding for apprenticeship programs in the technology sector and providing students with the necessary skills to compete in the 21st Century workforce.
“While a majority of careers today require skills in science, technology, engineering and math, many IT jobs do not require an advanced college degree or years of studying and training. Apprenticeship programs can help to fill the skills gap by quickly training and preparing workers for IT jobs in the tech sector and across multiple other sectors of our economy. A recent CompTIA study found that IT professionals believe job candidates need more options to gain relevant work experience and on-the-job training. Indeed, 53 percent indicated apprenticeships for IT occupations would help to address that issue.
“The CHANCE in Tech Act will ensure that quality candidates are recruited and provide compressed and targeted training to meet specific employer needs. Additionally, secondary schools will be recognized for ensuring their classrooms are teaching the necessary skills for students to compete in the 21st century workforce.
“We are grateful to Rep. Seth Moulton, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Sen. Cory Gardner, and Sen. Martin Heinrich for championing this bill as well as to Rep. Mia Love and Rep. Derek Kilmer for their support. We urge Congress to pass the CHANCE in Tech Act expeditiously.”
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CompTIA: Building the Foundation for Technology's Future
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world's leading technology association, with approximately 2,000 member companies, 3,000 academic and training partners, over 100,000 registered users and more than two million IT certifications issued. CompTIA's unparalleled range of programs foster workforce skills development and generate critical knowledge and insight – building the foundation for technology’s future.
About CompTIA Advocacy
Through its advocacy arm, CompTIA champions member-driven business and IT priorities that impact all information technology companies – from small managed solutions providers and software developers to large equipment manufacturers and communications service providers. CompTIA gives eyes, ears and a voice to technology companies, informing them of policy developments – and providing the means to do something about it.
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Access Now$2 trillion – Estimated direct economic impact of the U.S. tech industry, representing 8.8% of the national economy.
582,000 – Number of tech business establishments in the U.S.
9.1 million – U.S. net tech employment at the end of 2022.
286,400 – Estimated number of new technology jobs added in the U.S. in 2022.
4.1 million – Number of postings by U.S. employers for tech job openings during 2022.
