The Foundation’s Creating Futures program provided career counseling to more than 13,400 people and provided IT training to 854 individuals in need last year – from military veterans and individuals with disabilities to youth at risk and dislocated workers.  The Foundation aims to increase its training by 50 percent this year.

ExamForce and LearnKey are providing online training in CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network + and CompTIA Security+ certifications for 150 students; test prep software for 300 students in those same certifications; and IC3 digital literacy courses for 50 students.

“We saw the great success Creating Futures had last year and knew we wanted to help even more in 2010. With our new merger with LearnKey, we’ve been able to offer more training to the Foundation and throughout the IT industry,” said Kevin Forcier, president of ExamForce.  

John Clemons, CEO of LearnKey Inc., added, “Unemployment rages in the U.S., but the IT industry still has jobs to fill. It simply needs quality workers to hire. Training and certification are the most important steps to take to launch a new career, and we’re proud to work with the Creating Futures to help people get started in IT.”

Creating Futures works with employers to identify their hiring needs, then tailors education and training programs to help individuals obtain the skills the employers are looking for to enable them to secure IT careers.
 
All candidate applications are screened before selected for the Creating Futures program.  Training, mentoring, courseware, practice exams, and certification vouchers are provided at no cost to these individuals.  Program participants train toward CompTIA certifications — which are known throughout the industry as reliable predictors of employee success and are therefore the best way to break into the IT field and build a solid career.

The Foundation also actively seeks IT companies to employ the Creating Futures participants after they pass certification.
 
“ExamForce and LearnKey have inspired us at CompTIA and throughout the industry with their generosity and commitment to help Americans get on the right road to a solid career,” said John Venator, president and CEO, CompTIA Educational Foundation. “We aim to bring in more than $1 million in donations for training and certification this year.  The more money we bring in, the more people we can help, and the more the industry can grow.  Thank you, ExamForce and LearnKey, for starting off our year with a bang!”

Individuals and companies can make a donation, and veterans can apply for training by visiting the Foundation’s Web site, http://www.CompTIA-EF.org.

About Exam Force
Founded in 1995, ExamForce is a leading provider of exam preparation material and video training for a multitude of industries. The company works with thousands of students each year by providing industry best training and test preparation software along with career advancement counseling.  ExamForce offers programs in the information technology, financial, medical, trades and college entrance markets. For more information, visit http://www.examforce.com.  

About LearnKey
Established in 1987, LearnKey, Inc. is a premier global provider of self-paced online and offline training solutions for corporate, education, government and personal users. For more than two decades, LearnKey has focused on creating interactive, easy to use and flexible learning solutions that are accessible anywhere, anytime. LearnKey is a CompTIA, Microsoft, CIW, Certiport and Mile2 partner. LearnKey produces video based learning, compatible workbooks and study guides. Course concentration areas include Networking, IT Technical, Web & Graphic Design, Leadership, Management, Safety and Compliance, Medical CE, K12 and Character Development. For more information about LearnKey’s courseware, visit www.learnkey.com.

About the CompTIA Educational Foundation
The CompTIA Educational Foundation provides career opportunities for individuals who historically have been under-represented in the IT workforce. With the support of individuals, industry leaders, companies and the government, the Foundation creates programs aimed at helping U.S. veterans, at-risk youth, women, minorities, dislocated workers, and individuals with disabilities to obtain the technical and business skills employers require. For more information or to make a donation to the CompTIA Educational Foundation, visit http://www.CompTIA-EF.org.

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org.

Donor Contact:
Dennis Zimmerman
Executive Director, CompTIA Educational Foundation
630-678-8477
dzimmerman@comptia-ef.org

Media Contact:
Lisa Fasold                
Communications, CompTIA Educational Foundation        
703-509-1124
lfasold@gmail.com