Press Releases

National School Boards Association commission recommendations aim to close skills gaps affecting  many industries

Downers Grove, Ill. – CompTIA, the leading technology industry association, said today it supports efforts to teach “LifeReady” skills to elementary, middle and high school students to better prepare them for their post-high school lives.

A National School Boards Association (NSBA) report released this month identified six skills – dependability and reliability, adaptability and trainability, critical thinking, decision-making, customer focus and teamwork – that every student should have upon graduation from high school, whether they enter the workforce or continue their education in college.

“These employability skills are essential for virtually any occupation a young person might pursue, whether it’s a cybersecurity analyst, a restaurant chef, an airline pilot or a small business owner,” said Todd Thibodeaux president and CEO of CompTIA. “We fully support NSBA in its effort to prepare students for the millions of jobs available today and into the future.”

At the end of January 2019, there were an estimated 7.3 million job openings in the U.S. economy, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.[1]

Within the tech industry, CompTIA’s Cyberstates 2019™ report projects that the base of tech occupation employment – a subset of net tech employment – will grow to 8.6 million by 2026.[2] Retirements will create even more pressure to meet the need for tech talent.

CompTIA is one of 10 major business trade and membership organizations represented on the NSBA Commission to Close the Skills Gap, which was established to highlight the growing workforce crisis In the United States.

“Technology powers virtually every sector of our economy, but skills gaps and worker shortages have the very real potential to slow down our ability to innovate,” said Kirk Smallwood, CompTIA’s vice president for business development. Smallwood represented the association on the NSBA commission.

“NSBA’s recommendation on ‘Life Ready Skills’ has the potential to significantly close those gaps,” he continued. “CompTIA is committed to doing its part to equip today’s student with the skills they’ll use as tomorrow’s leaders.”

CompTIA, through its Academy Partner Program, works with thousands of academic institutions across the country and around the world. CompTIA provides them with valuable tools and resources to assist in recruiting, training, certifying and upgrading the skills of students interested in careers in technology.

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About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the more than 50 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 advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org to learn more.

Contact:

Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
+1 (630) 678-8468
[email protected]