CompTIA CEO outlines bold initiative to create the preeminent destination to start, build and 'supercharge' a career in tech

Todd Thibodeaux uses ChannelCon 2022 state of the industry remarks to unveil CompTIA's Project Agora; invites broad industry participation in the effort to fight for tech talent

CHICAGO, Aug. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce, is undertaking an expansive effort to create the most resource-rich source of information and support for anyone interested in starting, staying and succeeding in a career in technology.

CompTIA President and CEO Todd Thibodeaux revealed the association's Project Agora during his state of the industry remarks at ChannelCon 2022.

"The goal of Project Agora is to create the most respected place to start, build and supercharge your tech career," he said. "With amazing resources and broad support from our members, partners and industry Project Agora will help people find success in the tech workforce."

The labor market is in a period of unprecedented transition, characterized in large part by the volume of frictional unemployment as individuals search for, or transition from one job to another. One in four US workers were actively seeking a new job or pursuing other career options during Q2 2022, CompTIA research reveals.¹ While tech is among the top five industries job seekers were considering, it ranked behind several other sectors, including sales, real estate, healthcare, hospitality and finance. A lack of confidence in technical skills, concerns about the cost and the time it will take to learn those skills and perceptions about the tech industry culture are factors that contribute to reluctance to consider tech as a career option.

"Our challenge is to convert more career intent people to tech intent," Thibodeaux said. "We need to tell better stories, more consistently, about how truly great it is to work in tech. The way we get the talent we need is by fighting for it."

Project Agora will help in that effort, first by enabling individuals to explore in great depth tech jobs and careers. CompTIA has identified 30 different job roles covering 90% of tech employment. The next step is creating resources to engage users and convert them from career intent to tech intent. Thibodeaux issued a call to action for the industry to get involved in this effort to build the best, most comprehensive collection of tech career resources available anywhere.

"Confidence gaps, career transition gaps and reskilling gaps are not insurmountable barriers but rather opportunities to chart a new course for individuals and the companies that employ them," Thibodeaux concluded. "Project Agora is all about unlocking potential, for the industry, and for millions of people we want and need working in it,"

Organizations interested in getting involved in Project Agora can contact CompTIA at [email protected]

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world's economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for unlocking the potential of the tech industry and its workforce. https://www.comptia.org/

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SOURCE CompTIA