Program Certifies Veterans For Careers In IT (NAPSA)—There’s good news for veterans looking for a new career—and those who care about them. There is an information technology (IT) certification program designed to help veterans build on their military experience and make the successful transition to a new careerin civilian life. The program, Troops to Tech Careers, helps returning veterans and their spouses who have an interest in an IT career receive the education, credentialing and job placement resources to be successful in this growingfield. The program was created by an IT company called CompTIA. Training as a Gateway In the case of Marine Corps veteran Derek LeMay, the training and certification served as a gateway to a position with Symantec Corporation, where he provides phone support to the company’s global enterprise IT customers. Said Darrell Adams, a technical manager with the corporation, “Derek, when he sat down, pretty much blew our technical interview away. In fact, he came in on a Thursday and we offered him the job that Friday. It was that quick.” Adams added that the company’s engineers were impressed by LeMay’s command of networking and multiple operating systems and his ability to easily answer their questions. LeMay believes the certifications he obtained through the training gave him the opportunity to get the job and will continue to help him in the future. New Careersin Tech LeMay is among the manyveterans Symantec has hired for its Marine Corps veteran Derek LeMaycredits the CompTIA train- ing and certification program for veterans with helping him secure a position in the IT industry. engineering and technical support positions. It promotes job openings to veterans through military.com, military transition assistance programs, and career fairs targeting veterans with security clearance. Said Ellen McLatchey, director of Global Diversity & Inclusion at Symantec, “We know that veterans participating in Troops to Tech are eager to contribute and have the skills and competencies needed to succeed at Symantec.” A Three-Step Model The Troops to Tech Careers program is founded on the “LearnCertify-Work” model, which is designed to create a clear pathway for veterans who wantto start a career in IT. Benefit programs that veterans have used to cover the program costs include the Post9/11 GI Bill, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, and the Workforce Investment Act. To learn more, visit the site at www.troopstotechcareers.org.
