Creating IT Futures Foundation & CompTIA Receive Top ASAE Honors for their IT-Ready Career Program and Dream IT Program

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Sept. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CompTIA and its philanthropic arm, Creating IT Futures Foundation, earned two 2016 ASAE Power of A Awards: a Gold for its IT-Ready career program and a Silver for its Dream IT Program.

"Congratulations to Creating IT Futures and CompTIA for their hard work and for helping to make the world a better place," said Sharon J. Swan, FASAE, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and chair of the Power of A Awards Judging Committee. "Their initiative exemplifies how associations are a positive force in our everyday lives – not just to the profession or industry they represent, but to society at large."

Offered free of charge by experienced information technology (IT) instructors in a classroom setting, IT-Ready teaches skills that equip adult learners for beginning careers in the IT industry — such as building a computer from parts, installing software, troubleshooting problems, and setting up and managing networks. Students also learn softer professional skills such as communication, customer service and job interviewing techniques. With 10 locations, more than 1,000 students have participated in the IT-Ready program since 2012.

"Creating IT Futures has committed to putting 5,000 new workers into IT careers by 2018. We're continually in discussions with workforce investment boards, local governments, and other non-profits to expand IT-Ready into more cities," said Charles Eaton, CEO, Creating IT Futures Foundation. "Nearly 95 percent of graduates earn their CompTIA A+ certification and 80 percent move into paid IT roles with area companies. We're creating more than the opportunity for a job, but instead a life-long career full of upward mobility and self-sustaining income."

One of CompTIA's volunteer group communities, Advancing Women in IT (AWIT), developed an evangelism platform called DreamIT to show how the many IT career opportunities there are for available to women. In 2014, the community launched two websites linked to the Dream IT initiative - a Career Resource Center, which features a robust collection of career information and resources, all aimed at delivering the message to women and girls that IT is a great place to work; and Dream IT, which contains ready-made presentation materials that can be used by anyone interested in spreading the message about the opportunities in the IT workforce for women and girls.

"Dream IT resources are designed to raise awareness among students – especially girls – that their interests and strengths can translate into a rewarding career in the technology field. The materials are ready-made for use by any classroom teacher, career counselor, community group or social organization," said Nancy Hammervik, senior vice president, industry relations, CompTIA. "This August our members and staff surpassed the goal to reach 10,000 women and girls about the opportunities in the IT industry."

ASAE's Power of A (association) Awards, the association industry's highest honor, recognize the association community's valuable contributions on the local, national and global levels.  The Power of A Awards reward outstanding accomplishments of associations and industry professionals for their efforts to enrich lives, create a competitive workforce, prepare society for the future, drive innovation and make a better world.

For more information about IT-Ready, go to www.ITready.com. For more information about the DreamIT program, go to https://www.comptia.org/AWITcareers and https://www.comptia.org/DreamIT  

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SOURCE Creating IT Futures Foundation