RIT/NTID offers boot camp-style IT training, certification for deaf, hard-of-hearing learners

The DeafTEC Resource Center at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf is partnering with information technology industry certification leader CompTIA to provide a full-time, 10-week hands-on training course at no cost for deaf and hard-of-hearing adult learners. CompTIA A+ is the industry standard for establishing a career in IT and is the preferred qualifying credential for technical support.

Offered in person on RIT’s Henrietta campus for up to 12 deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, the camp will be taught in American Sign Language by experienced, credentialed NTID faculty members from May 25 to Aug. 5, 2022. There are no fees or costs to attend the boot camp, and all expenses, including travel to and from Rochester, N.Y., room and board on the RIT campus, workshop materials, and CompTIA A+ Core 1 and Core 2 exam vouchers are covered.

“During this boot camp, participants will gain technical skills such as repairing and maintaining computer equipment, networks, and operating systems, and learning professional communication and problem- solving skills that are key to success in the workplace,” said Donna Lange, associate professor in NTID’s Information and Computing Studies department.

At the end of the program, participants will sit for the CompTIA A+ (Core 1 and Core 2) certification exams. Individuals who successfully complete the CompTIA A+ certification will be eligible to receive job placement assistance from CompTIA’s career services staff and earn college credit for three, three-credit courses from NTID’s applied computer technology associate degree programs that can be used to pursue an associate degree at NTID or at other colleges across the country that accept the credit.

“This program is ideal for the deaf or hard-of-hearing adult learner who is interested in enhancing their skills or who has been displaced in the workforce and is looking for other career opportunities,” said James Mallory, professor in NTID’s Information and Computing Studies department and lead instructor for the boot camp. “We are looking for highly motivated learners who are able to commit the time and effort needed to be successful in this course.”

Eligibility requirements and registration information are on the boot camp website.

The boot camp is offered at no cost as part of the DeafTEC Ready project funded by the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education program under Award No. 2100330.

The application deadline is Feb. 28, 2022.

For more information, contact Maureen Gallagher.