CompTIA Newsroom

New Guide Helps Parents to Launch Their Teen’s Career in Technology

Downers Grove, Ill. — Creating IT Futures announced today the availability for download and purchase of the first book by its CEO, Charles Eaton. The book, How to Launch Your Teen’s Career in Technology: A Parent’s Guide to the T in STEM Education, is part of CompTIA’s NextUp initiative to interest teens in tech careers. NextUp is funded by CompTIA and managed by Creating IT Futures. SXSW attendees in Austin this month can get copies of the book at the CompTIA booth.

“People who succeed in technology are problem solvers who care about other people and the overall quality of our lives,” said Eaton, who also is executive vice president, social innovation, for CompTIA. “The earlier we can develop and support an interest in tech careers in this next generation of young people, the stronger our industry will become and the more our economy will grow.”

Eaton’s T in STEM guide provides parents of tweens and teenagers – from middle school through high school— with an insider’s view of today’s tech careers and reveals a vibrant, diverse industry bursting with opportunities that are easier for eager students to seize than many may imagine.

“Our research, Teen Views on Tech Careers, shows that, in terms of advice on college and careers, teens rely on parents 2-to-1 over any other source, including teachers and friends,” Eaton said. In line with these findings, Eaton provides parents and other readers with practical counsel and resources in the “T in STEM” guide:

• Defining the role of a “technologist” in varied businesses and industries at companies large and small around the globe.
• Busting seven common myths about technology careers, such as “Technology is all about coding and math” and “To work in technology, you need a four-year college degree.”
• Scoping the level and depth of opportunity in the tech-related job market, an industry with more than half a million open positions in the U.S. at any given time.
• Providing pointers for recognizing traits in young students that suggest they will succeed in technology careers.
• Identifying “educational pathways”, such as makerspaces and boot camps, that motivated parents can place their tweens and teens on today that will prepare them for tomorrow – and deliver some fun and entertainment in the meantime.
• Introducing readers to an array of diverse people working as technologists today, who followed a variety of paths to success.

“It’s tempting to see educators and technical trainers as the answer to launching your teen’s career in technology,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA, who wrote the book’s foreword. “But the secret isn’t creating curriculum. It’s creating inspiration. And not just in children, but in parents, too.”

Parents, educators and students in middle school through high school can place orders for the guide starting today at http://TinSTEM.com. Readers can submit a review of the book at http://review.TinSTEM.com.

South by Southwest (SXSW) attendees can meet the author in person when Eaton speaks on Saturday, March 11 at 9:30 a.m. during the session, Apprenticeships and Solving the IT Skills Gap. The first 100 attendees to the CompTIA booth #405 during SXSW can pick up a free copy of his book.

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s 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 educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public policy advocacy. To learn more visit CompTIA online, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Creating IT Futures
Founded by CompTIA in 1998, Creating IT Futures is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.CreatingITFutures.org.

Contact:
Lisa Fasold                                                                         
Creating IT Futures                                                        
630-678-8558                                                                   
lfasold@comptia.org