South Carolina Businesses are Encouraged to Apply for Free CompTIA Training and Certification

DEW and CompTIA Bring a Wealth of Benefits to Multiple Industries Across the State

Columbia, SC – On October 27, 2021, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) announced a partnership with CompTIA, one of the nation’s leading Information Technology (IT) associations. The contract enables South Carolina businesses staff training and certification to enhance IT proficiency – at absolutely no cost. This training is offered through the CompTIA Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) Scholarship Program that helps businesses reskill and upskill employees, improve cybersecurity and data protection, and address their individual tech talent needs.

“We are proud to share that over 100 business have already applied for the CompTIA IWT Scholarship Program,” states Executive Director Dan Ellzey. “While this is terrific news, we know that more businesses should participate to receive the benefits from sending their workers to the free training.  Businesses with two or more employees and are current on their state taxes are strongly encouraged to apply.”

As the first cohort of participants graduate and their employers complete evaluation surveys, 100% of the responding businesses indicated they would refer the program to other businesses. Moreover, all businesses who have already had employees complete CompTIA certification testing agree that their expected outcomes for participating in the program were met.

“The IWT Scholarship Program has provided our staff with valuable cybersecurity skills with the credentials to back it up,” said David Viscusie, Operations Director and HIPAA Chief Security Officer at Keystone Substance Abuse Services. Mr. Viscusie’s employee, Nelson Lane, became the first graduate of the scholarship program since the start of the partnership between DEW and CompTIA. “We are very proud of Nelson for seizing this opportunity and passing his CompTIA Security+ exam on the first try. Our mentor for this course was amazing! Keystone takes the security and confidentiality of our data very seriously, and we are grateful for this opportunity DEW has provided us with,” continued Viscusie.

“It has been a privilege to participate in the CompTIA Security+ program,” states Nelson Lane, IT Assistant at Keystone Substance Abuse Services. “My success and graduation would not have been possible without the support of my employer, Keystone Substance Abuse Services, and it is an honor to be able to apply the skills acquired in the protection of their client’s health records. I would like to thank DEW for the scholarship and opportunity to further my skillsets and career.”

“We want employers to know that this scholarship can benefit companies in any industry and the current makeup of our participants range everywhere from healthcare to manufacturing,” states Ellzey. “There are businesses who can benefit from the program by improving their staff’s current knowledge of wide-ranging IT functions. There are other businesses who can benefit from the program by introducing employees with little to no IT skills to the basics of IT. This program is universally advantageous no matter a company’s baseline IT aptitude.”

“This program is helping scores of individuals unlock their potential, build their confidence, and thrive in tech jobs that offer long-term opportunities for advancement and growth,” said Mark Plunkett, Vice President for Education Services and Business Development at the CompTIA Tech Career Academy. “Just as important, we’re helping South Carolina employers find and retain tech workers with the skillsets that enable them to be at the forefront of innovation.”

South Carolina is currently projected to see a tech employment increase of 2.9% this year, which is the fifth highest percentage in the country and may result in the creation of approximately 2,400 new jobs in the state, according to CompTIA’s recently published State of the Tech Workforce Report.

South Carolina businesses who participate in the scholarship program can choose between CompTIA A+ and Security+ certification options. The 16-week A+ training program provides workers with the fundamentals of computer hardware and software, as well as the skills needed for positions such as Data Support Technicians, Help Desk Technicians, Desktop Support Administrators, and Technical Support Specialists. The 8-week Security+ training program provides workers with an understanding of network security, identifying and mitigating security threats, and the skills needed for positions such as System Administrators and Security Administrators.

Registration is currently open for the next phase of candidates to participate in the CompTIA IWT Scholarship Program. We strongly encourage South Carolina businesses to apply and learn more by completing the online form here.