First Class of WWP Veterans Set to Graduate from Creating IT Futures IT-Ready Online Program this Friday
Downers Grove, Ill. — A group of 56 injured veterans from Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) will be the first class to graduate from IT-Ready Online, the tech career training program from Creating IT Futures, on Friday, Aug. 2.
With financial support from Cognizant U.S. Foundation and CompTIA, 56 warriors from 26 states were able to take 12 weeks of intensive online training with IT-Ready and test for their CompTIA A+ certification, building toward a first job on a IT helpdesk. Through its Warriors to Work® program, WWP will connect the IT-Ready graduates to employers.
“IT Ready is providing our warriors with the critical skills and training that employers are seeking in the information technology sector,” said Tom Kastner, financial wellness vice president at WWP. “This partnership exemplifies Wounded Warrior Project’s commitment to help injured veterans achieve their highest ambitions. When they’re ready to start their next mission, we stand ready to serve.”
Veterans possess skills in high demand by the private sector – such as discipline, maturity, perseverance, and the ability to think critically, solve problems and work effectively with others. IT-Ready helped the warriors fill in any gaps in training required for employment in civilian, entry-level tech positions. The warriors received free tuition, learning materials, 180 hours of tech and soft skills training, and certification vouchers.
“We have more than 100 businesses that work with us year-round to hire IT-Ready graduates, since they know that our students have the tech and business skills to be prepared to work on Day One of their new jobs,” said Sue Wallace, executive director, national workforce solutions, Creating IT Futures. “We train motivated people with an aptitude for technology from multiple underserved populations, including military veterans, and it’s been a great relationship with WWP to help more of its warriors get trained and then linked to employers stepping up to hire America’s veterans.”
With IT-Ready, veterans of all occupational backgrounds and life experiences can be trained quickly to successfully enter the IT workforce – even if they don’t have prior IT experience. Only a high school diploma or GED is required. Beyond the online-only program, there are physical IT-Ready classrooms in Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Minneapolis – St. Paul; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; San Antonio; and San Diego. Prospective students can apply to any open classes this year at https://www.creatingitfutures.org/apply.
Employers who would like to get involved in the Warriors to Work program should contact WtoWEmployer@woundedwarriorproject.org.
About Creating IT Futures
Founded in 1998 by CompTIA, Creating IT Futures is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.
About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families and caregivers – helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more: http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.
Media Contacts:
Lisa Fasold
Creating IT Futures
630-678-8558
lfasold@comptia.org
Jon Blauvelt
Wounded Warrior Project
904-426-9756
Jblauvelt@woundedwarriorproject.org
Steve Ostrowski
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
(630) 678 - 8468
sostrowski@comptia.org
Roger Hughlett
Director, Corporate Communications
(202) 503 - 3644
rhughlett@comptia.org
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