The Fulcrum Group, a Fort Worth-based IT managed services provider, is partnering with the American Institutes for Research and CompTIA to establish a Registered Apprenticeship Program to train aspiring tech professionals.

The Fulcrum Group is the latest company to join CompTIA Apprenticeships for Tech, a national initiative to help employers fill current and long-term IT staffing needs through an “earn and learn” apprenticeship program. The program does this in a way that opens employment opportunities for more people from diverse backgrounds.

“We’ve been committed to our community for years via donations and time, and an apprenticeship program is the next level of looking to the future,” Meek said in a statement. “The next generation of technologists may not come from a college, or have the financial resources, or be in a position to easily gain the technical foundation to be successful.”

Now Meek and his company aim to help technologists gain that foundation.

Apprentices at Fulcrum Group will receive on-the-job and structured training, paired with mentorship and real work experience. Instruction and training are based on National Guideline Standards created by CompTIA and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, which funds the program. 

Industry is demanding more tech skills

Meek says the industry’s needs make learning tech skills more important than ever.

“The industry continues to demand more technical skills and ongoing learning,” Meek noted. “Enabling young minds fosters lifelong learners and shares some of our success with people in our community.”

The jobs are certainly out there. In February, U.S. employers listed job openings for nearly 388,000 core tech positions including IT support, software and web development, and cybersecurity. Tech job postings in Texas surpassed 38,000, while in the Dallas-Fort Worth–Arlington market, job postings totaled more than 18,600.

Program increases diversity, upskills current workers

Participating in CompTIA Apprenticeships for Tech gives companies access to a deeper talent pool that better reflects today’s diverse workforce, CompTIA says. The apprenticeships also offer businesses the opportunity to upskill and reskill current workers, while recruiting and training new candidates for IT careers.

“Apprenticeships are a proven method for building the technical and durable skills that employers are looking for and to do so in a way that brings a broader diversity of people into the workforce,” said Amy Kardel, SVP for workforce relationships at CompTIA. in the statement. “It’s a winning strategy for any organization that’s looking to grow and diversify its tech team.”

Plano’s RGB CustomPC joined the program last fall

Other North Texas companies are also taking part in the Apprenticeships for Tech program.  Last September, Plano-based RGB CustomPC—which designs custom-built desktop PCs for gaming, streaming, esports, and more—announced it was participating to upskill its current employees and create a long-term plan to attract talent. 

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