SkillsEngine & CompTIA: Transforming IT Workforce Alignment with Real-Time Skills Intelligence

In the rapidly evolving world of technology, aligning workforce competencies with industry demands is crucial—and challenging. For CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association and global leader in IT education, training, and certification, partnering with SkillsEngine was a strategic choice that enhanced how they keep pace with industry trends and IT career requirements.

Two years ago, CompTIA sought a partner capable of bridging external industry skills insights with their internal product development and certification efforts. After an extensive Request for Proposals (RFP) process, CompTIA identified SkillsEngine as uniquely suited to meet this critical need.

“There are a number of advantages to SkillsEngine’s technology and the dynamic team behind it," said Carl Bowman, CompTIA’s Senior Vice President of Exam Services. "Yet, what really sets it apart is the opportunity to keep your finger on the pulse of continuously changing job requirements. The technology industry changes quickly, so having one platform where you can view the impact of these changes on role requirements, flag these changes in your individual skills profiles, and auto-suggest how to integrate these into your efforts is highly beneficial.”

With SkillsEngine's interactive skills data platform, CompTIA was able to craft accurate job profiles for target IT roles. This allowed them to establish a shared understanding of job requirements and career pathways associated with their certification offerings.

Critically, SkillsEngine also influenced CompTIA’s approach to Job Task Analysis—a foundational element of their certification exams historically revisited every three years.

"For over 30 years, we’ve convened Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) routinely to understand the critical tasks they perform each day, informing our certification exam objectives," Bowman explained. "Not only has SkillsEngine enabled a data-driven and timely means of starting those conversations, but also lent more validity to the process by providing a clear way to prioritize which job skills and tasks to bring to the conversation."

Looking ahead, Bowman envisions even deeper integration of SkillsEngine's capabilities. By leveraging the platform's robust feedback functionality, CompTIA plans to conduct preliminary surveys of SMEs ahead of formal convenings, enabling real-time, actionable insights to guide in-depth discussions. This proactive approach will help continuously validate and refine job task profiles throughout the certification lifecycle.

Bowman's experience with SkillsEngine has led him to offer clear advice to other organizations considering a partnership:

"Get involved with SkillsEngine now. The team is super flexible, offers an open ear, and is ready to work closely with you to understand your envisioned use case and how the technology can support you in achieving your goals. It’s been such a great experience. SkillsEngine is also eager to respond to industry needs, and use industry feedback in part of product and feature development. Getting involved now will allow you to frame and shape the future of this high-value offering."

Bowman further emphasizes the broader value SkillsEngine brings across workforce and training initiatives:

“If you’re an employer, SkillsEngine’s industry data and skills profiles will help to inform your skills-first job descriptions, ensuring that what you create is reflective of current industry trends. If you are involved with training or curriculum development, you can now build programs and content based on actual job requirements. From IT to any high-demand field, there is no better way to access the skills intelligence you need than by going directly to the source. SkillsEngine ensures that you can learn firsthand what's happening in the field, how the job and its tasks are developing, and use this intelligence to inform your own goals."

Through their strategic partnership with SkillsEngine, CompTIA has successfully aligned their certification processes and workforce strategies with real-time skills data—strengthening their ability to respond to rapidly shifting technology landscapes and ensuring continued leadership in IT workforce readiness.

Case study completed in Fall 2024

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