McMahan Center / CompTIA Educational Foundation Creating Futures Pilot Program

Through a grant from The McMahan Center, the CompTIA Educational Foundation was able to implement, test and evaluate its Creating Futures methodology with a target population that is greatly underrepresented in the workforce. Through its facilitation with the McMahan Center, CEF formed a partnership with the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) to establish a pilot program in Dublin, Ireland to examine and test the critical area of increasing the educational and employment opportunities using Information Technology skills for individuals with various physical disabilities.

This program worked with select employers to identify their entry-level IT needs, including specific skill sets. Students from the CRC received training to fit those specific needs leading to valuable work experiences and full-time job opportunities. These employers included the Dublin Airport, Marriott Hotels and Northern Trust Bank.

The Foundation provided its Creating Futures Skills Management System (SMS), a unique product that develops competencies and utilizes coaches to validate the achievement of those competencies both in the classroom and on the job. This particular pilot developed both computer usability and soft skill competencies that will be disseminated and utilized in future programs. The computer usability competencies focused around the Windows and MS Office environment while the soft skill competencies prepared students to work in an office environment, completing projects, working in teams, adjusting to the office culture, etc. The program provided twelve students with the proper training, coaching and validated skills that gave them a running start towards a life-long, meaningful, self-sustaining career.

Results of this pilot have shown that the benefits of providing on-the-job work experience is invaluable to each individual, providing them a chance to demonstrate their skills to employers and gain the self-confidence in themselves to become productive workers. This pilot program has helped set the standard for the industry in terms of integrating assistive technology and individuals with disabilities into the mainstream workforce. Through this grant, the CompTIA Educational Foundation was able to develop, test and evaluate this program before rolling it out nationwide in the U.S. In 2007, the CEF will share these results with the IT training industry to integrate the lessons learned and best practices into their training methodology. Together, the McMahan Center, Central Remedial Clinic and the CEF set a new pathway for training individuals with disabilities and showing how employers can incorporate them into the mainstream workforce.