The IT Nerd

Rapid changes in data analytics practices and technologies are reflected in the updated CompTIA Data+ certification released by CompTIA, the leading global provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certifications.

The new CompTIA Data+ exam (V2), available worldwide, covers the technologies and processes that are increasingly used by workers in the data realm, including generative artificial intelligence (AI), regular expression testers (RegEx), integrated development environments (IDEs) and more.

Over the next 10 years job growth for data scientist and data analyst occupations is expected to grow at a rate that is 414% higher than the overall U.S. rate, according to CompTIA’s analysis of projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics and Lightcast

Today’s data analysts must be familiar with cloud providers and how infrastructure impacts the way they access data. Modern data science relies on IDEs to write, test and debug code for analysis and other tasks. Also, the rise of generative AI makes it essential for data analysts to understand how they can utilize language models to improve the manipulation and analysis of data.

CompTIA Data+ validates a range of knowledge and skills; for example, the ability to mine, analyze and interpret data while adhering to governance and quality standards, and to communicate data-driven insights in ways that inform rather than confuse, leading to more informed data-driven business decisions.

The certification is vendor neutral, setting it apart from other data analytics credentials. Rather than zeroing in on a specific technology, CompTIA Data+ focuses on the core concepts applicable to analysts no matter which systems their organization uses. The exam assesses knowledge and hands-on skills in five areas: data concepts and environments, data acquisition and preparation, data analysis, virtualization and reporting and data governance.

CompTIA Data+ is compliant with ISO 17024 standards. ISO accreditation by the ANSI National Accreditation Board is important because it provides confidence and trust in the outputs of an accredited program. CompTIA Data+ also meets the requirements of the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity.

New CertMaster learning options for the updated CompTIA Data+ exam are available. CompTIA uses a research-based framework in its learning solutions. This approach delivers instruction in a more effective way, helping learners retain what they’ve learned and apply it to job scenarios and job task requirements. CertMaster’s flexible, self-paced training solutions are designed to fit anyone’s learning style and timeline.

A new option to learn the fundamentals of project management and enhance your employability profile is available from CompTIA, the leading global provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certifications.

CompTIA Project Management Essentials is designed for anyone who wants to improve the outcomes of their work by applying basic project management processes, tools and best practices to everyday projects.

Employers and job seekers alike recognize the importance of project management skills. An April 2025 CompTIA report found that 88% of organizations surveyed planned to increase or maintain the level of their financial investment in project management training. Another report found that among individuals intent on expanding their workplace skills, 63% viewed project management skills as important to their career maintenance and advancement.

CompTIA Project Management Essentials includes a 6- to 8-hour learning experience of engaging multimedia instruction through video, text and interactive activities. The course utilizes CompTIA’s research-based Learning Progression Model to drive effective and efficient learning. Artificial intelligence-powered real-world scenarios immerse learners in project-based work so they can evaluate and hone their skills along the way.

Topics covered in the course include:

• The fundamentals of the project life cycle and project management
• Defining and initiating a project
• Creating an effective project plan
• Monitoring a project’s performance
• Evaluating and closing a project

Instruction is followed by a 30-minute competency assessment. Learners receive a CompTIA Competency Certificate (CompCert) upon completion, validating their competency and actual skills in project management essentials, not just course completion.

Project Management Essentials joins CompTIA’s growing portfolio of offerings in the project management domain. For individuals working in the project management field looking to validate the skills necessary to perform the job role of project manager in IT projects, CompTIA offers its Project+ certification alongside a suite of learning options.

Project Management Essentials is also the newest addition to the CompTIA Essentials Series of learning resources, which features courses in artificial intelligence, business, cloud computing and soft skills.

Technology-related employment in Canada is expected to increase in 2025, continuing a recent trend of steady job growth across the county, according to new research from CompTIA, the leading global provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certifications.

“State of the Tech Workforce Canada 2025” estimates that net tech employment reached an estimated 1,445,188 workers in 2024, an increase of 1.9% over the previous year, or approximately 27,500 more workers. In 2025 net tech employment is forecast to grow 1.4% to 1.46 million workers. Since 2019, net tech employment has increased by an estimated 290,500 new jobs. Net tech employment accounts for 6.8% of Canada’s total workforce.

In the next 10 years tech occupation employment is expected to grow 1.77 times as fast as overall employment across the Canadian economy. Occupation categories expected to experience the strongest growth include software engineers and designers (+163%), information systems managers (+153%), cybersecurity specialists (+131%), data scientists (+126%), data analysts and administrators (+116%) and business systems specialists (+113%).

Among the provinces, Ontario recorded the largest increase in net tech employment, adding an estimated 17,837 workers in 2024. Alberta (6,083), Manitoba (1,565), Nova Scotia (1,301) and Quebec (1,206) followed.

The Toronto metropolitan area has the largest tech workforce (414,667) and the highest concentration of technology workers as a percentage of its overall workforce (10.7%), above the national benchmark of 6.8%. Montreal (8.7%), Vancouver (8.6%), and Calgary (7.4%) are also above the national rate.

Canada’s technology industry includes an estimated 83,260 business establishments and accounts for approximately 5.8% of direct economic value, which translates to $131.6 billion CAD. The estimated median annual wage for a technology worker in Canada is $97,197 (CAD), which is 48% higher than the median national wage for all occupations.

CompTIA’s “State of the Tech Workforce Canada 2025” quantifies the size and scope of the tech industry and the tech workforce across multiple vectors, with data on time series trending, wage percentiles, business establishments, employer job postings trending, digital skills trending, demographic profiling, emerging tech metrics and more. The report draws upon multiple data sources including Lightcast, StatsCan, CompTIA

 CompTIA, Inc., the leading global provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certification products, today announced its signature certification, CompTIA A+, has been updated with comprehensive new content that reflects the evolving technology landscape.

CompTIA A+ is unique in that it is the only entry-level, vendor-neutral certification in the market designed specifically for tech support personnel. Exams emphasize hands-on skills and real-world problem-solving. Areas of greater emphasis in the new CompTIA A+ certification exams include:

• Basic artificial intelligence concepts, including appropriate use, limitations to consider and understanding the differences between private versus public data.
• Cybersecurity measures, protocols and tools for malware detection and prevention, reflecting the growing need to safeguard systems and data against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
• Cloud computing models and virtualization concepts to support today’s IT infrastructures.
• Software troubleshooting to diagnose and resolve software issues in complex environments while maintaining system functionality and minimizing downtime.
• Understanding robust networking solutions, including VPNs and secure remote access, along with the ability to connect, configure and troubleshoot a wide array of network devices.

Along with the updated certification exams, new CompTIA’s A+ learning products, including CertMaster Perform, CertMaster Learn and CertMaster Practice, have been released. These resources help learners master the essential skills required for IT support roles using videos, interactives and a comprehensive set of hands-on labs organized in a research-backed learning progression framework. These resources support a variety of learning styles and preferences, whether it’s self-study or instructor-led training.

More than 1.3 million CompTIA A+ certifications have been awarded to IT professionals around the world. CompTIA A+ has widespread recognition and use in many industry sectors. The certification maps to several work roles in both the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity and the Department of Defense Cyber Workforce Framework. CompTIA A+ is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and compliant with ISO 17024 standards, ensuring it meets rigorous quality and relevance criteria. Learn more at https://www.comptia.org/certifications/a.

A new certification to help experienced technology professionals navigate the intricate challenges of modern enterprise networks is available from CompTIA, Inc., the leading global provider of vendor-neutral information technology (IT) training and certification products.

CompTIA CloudNetX, the newest certification in the CompTIA’s Xpert Series, validates the advanced skills needed to design, engineer and integrate secure and scalable networking solutions in hybrid environments.

CompTIA CloudNetX is a vendor-neutral certification, a critical differentiator for IT professionals who work with hybrid networks and products from multiple vendors. The certification exam assesses hands-on capabilities on a range of topics, including:

• Emerging technologies such as container networking, software-defined cloud interconnect and generative AI for automation and scripting.
• Network security, including threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations; identity and access management; and wireless security and appliance hardening. Zero Trust Architecture is another area of dedicated focus.
• Analyzing business requirements to design and implement network solutions, ensuring candidates can align technical skills with organizational goals.

CompTIA CloudNetX was created for IT professionals with at least five years of experience as a systems architect, network architect, cloud network architect, infrastructure architect or enterprise architect.

Two new learning resources are available for the new certification. CertMaster Perform CloudNetX is a comprehensive eLearning resource to gain knowledge and practical experience through instructional lessons and live labs. CertMaster Labs CloudNetX offers hands-on practice and skills development through a browser-based lab environment, allowing learners to apply their knowledge in real IT environments. Both resources align with the CompTIA CloudNetX certification exam objectives. Visit https://www.comptia.org/certifications/cloudnetx for complete details.

Students at hundreds of career colleges across Canada will soon have new options for training in cybersecurity and other dynamic technology disciplines through a new program from the National Association of Career Colleges (NACC) and CompTIA, the organizations announced today.

The non-profit organizations are jointly developing a technology-focused curriculum aligned with CompTIA’s industry-leading skills certifications for tech professionals. The initial focus is on education and training for careers in cybersecurity, with the intent to make the resources available to all 550 NACC member institutions across every province.

Canada’s technology workforce expanded by nearly 300,000 net new jobs between 2017 and 2022 and now totals nearly 1.4 million workers. Among the fastest growing occupations were jobs for cybersecurity specialists, which grew by 146% in that time span. The estimated median annual wage for a tech worker in Canada is $88,233, which is 48% higher than the median national wage for all occupations.

CompTIA is the largest vendor-neutral technology certifying body in the world, with nearly 3.5 million CompTIA certifications earned by IT professionals globally, including 800,000 in cybersecurity skills.

Nearly 300,000 technology jobs have been created in Canada over the past six years, with more employment growth projected in 2023, according to a report from CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce.

Net tech employment reached an estimated 1,352,210 workers in 2022 and is projected to grow by 1.3% this year, to nearly 1.4 million workers, CompTIA’s “State of the Tech Workforce Canada” reveals. All provinces are projected to see an increase in tech employment this year, with nearly 60% of growth in the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver metro areas.

Software engineers and designers, IT support and network technicians, database analysts and administrators, and computer and information system managers are the occupations in highest demand, CompTIA’s examination of employer job postings shows. Nearly one-fourth of job postings were for positions in emerging technologies. Slightly more than half of tech job postings in 2022 specified a required level of work experience, with the remaining 40% unspecified.

The Toronto metropolitan area has the highest concentration of technology workers as a percentage of its overall workforce (10.3%), well above the national benchmark (6.6%). Vancouver (8.6%), Montreal (8.5%) and Calgary (6.9%) also are above the national rate.           

The tech industry – nearly 55,000 business establishments – delivers a direct economic impact estimated at $113.4 billion CAD, approximately 5.5% of the overall Canadian economy, an increase from $104.6 billion CAD in the prior year. There are also downstream indirect benefits, such as the employment multiplier effect of technology ecosystems. The estimated median annual wage for a technology worker in Canada is $88,233 (CAD), which is 48% higher than the median national wage for all occupations.

CompTIA’s “State of the Tech Workforce Canada” provides an in-depth look at employment, economic impact, technology trends, salaries, hiring activity and more across the provinces and metropolitan areas of Canada. The report draws upon a number of data sources including Lightcast, Canadian government statistics (StatsCan), CompTIA and others. The full report is available at https://www.comptia.org/content/research/comptia-state-of-tech-workforce-canada.

The growth trajectory for technology-related employment is Canada is expected to continue in 2022 following a year in which employers hired more than 100,000 tech workers, according to new research published by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce.

Net tech employment in Canada reached an estimated 1,235,692 workers at the end of 2021, an increase of nearly 9% over the previous year, CompTIA’s “State of the Tech Workforce Canada” report reveals. CompTIA projects tech-related will grow by 1.5% this year – more than 19,000 net new jobs.

Employer job postings, another layer of insight into the tech job market, also bounced back in 2021 as many employers resuming hiring activity as the Canadian economy recovered. In 2021 employer job postings for technology positions jumped 54,552 from 2020, the equivalent of a 59% increase. By comparison, job postings for all occupation increased 50%.

Slightly more than half of employer job postings for tech jobs in 2021 specified a required level of work experience, with the remaining 42% unspecified. This indicates that many employers continue to evaluate their recruiting practices to accept more candidates for consideration, such as those with industry-recognized certifications rather than traditional university degrees.

While technology companies operate and tech jobs are available across the country, Canada’s tech community is concentrated in metropolitan areas, led by Toronto. At 10%, Toronto has the highest concentration of net tech employment as a percentage of its overall employment. Montreal (8.3%), Vancouver (7.8%) and Calgary (6.4%) all have a higher concentrations of technology workers than the national benchmark (6.3%).

Three metro markets, again led by Toronto, dominate tech hiring projections for 2022 CompTIA estimates that 5,756 net new tech jobs will be created in Toronto this year. Vancouver (+3,621) and Montreal (+2,705) are also expected to see solid job growth, with smaller number of job gains anticipated in Edmonton and Calgary.

Since 2016, net tech employment has increased by an estimated 213,432 net new jobs, with steady growth during this span, except for a decline in the COVID-19 pandemic impacted year of 2020. Net tech employment accounted for approximately 6.3% of the total Canadian workforce in 2021. The tech industry delivers approximately 5.3% of direct economic value, which translates to $104.5 billion CAD.

CompTIA’s “State of the Tech Workforce Canada” report provides an in-depth look at employment, economic impact, technology trends, salaries, hiring activity and more across the provinces and metropolitan areas of Canada. The report draws upon several data sources, including Canadian government statistics (StatsCan), CompTIA, Lightcast™ (formerly EMSI Burning Glass) and more. The report is available at https://www.comptia.org/content/research/comptia-state-of-tech-workforce-canada.

 CompTIA A+, the globally recognized skills certification for technology professionals who provide technical support, has been updated to align with the changing nature of the hybrid workforce.

CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce, announced today that the new version of CompTIA A+ (220-1101 and 220-1102) is available worldwide. CompTIA A+ is trusted by employers around the world as validation of IT professionals’ ability to think on their feet and perform critical support tasks.

The new CompTIA A+ certification exam:

• Reflects the increased reliance on software-as-a-service applications for remote work.
• Includes more focus on troubleshooting and remotely diagnosing and correcting common software, hardware or connectivity problems.
• Places greater emphasis on changing core technologies, from cloud infrastructure and IoT device security to data management and scripting.
• Expands coverage of major operating systems, their use cases and how to keep them running properly.

The new exam also recognizes the changing nature of the tech support job role, where many tasks are sent to specialized providers. CompTIA A+ certified personnel are better able to assess whether it is best to fix something on site, or to save time and money by sending proprietary technologies directly to vendors.

Individuals who achieve CompTIA A+ certification have demonstrated the skills to install and configure end-user devices and software; connect devices to networks; perform basic cybersecurity mitigations; troubleshoot common problems to diagnose and resolve issues; and demonstrate basic knowledge of scripting, the cloud, and virtualization.

Accompanying the release of the new exam is the availability of a comprehensive suite of learning and exam preparation resources including:

• CertMaster Learn for A+, an interactive online learning experience featuring videos, performance-based interactives and practice questions.
• CertMaster Labs for A+, hands-on 3D workbench simulations and virtual machine-based labs.
• CertMaster Practice for A+, an adaptive test prep tool that assesses knowledge and exam readiness.

Complete details on CompTIA A+, including exam objectives, practice questions and exam study resources, are available at  https://www.comptia.org/certifications/a.

CompTIA, the leading provider of vendor-neutral skills certifications and education for technology workers, this week expanded its credentialing program into the data skills arena with the introduction of CompTIA Data+.

CompTIA Data+ is a data analytics certification for professionals tasked with developing and promoting data-driven business decision-making. It validates the ability to mine, analyze and interpret data in a clear, consistent way that produces insightful observations about the business.

For employers, CompTIA Data+ can help them solve a problem common in many organizations – the inability to translate data into good decision making. Just one in four companies report being exactly where they want to be with their utilization of data, with the majority recognizing a need for improvement, according to a January 2022 CompTIA survey of 500 businesses on their data management and analysis practices and challenges.

Anyone working in a role that analyzes business-specific data, provides management with data analytics on business functions, or analyzes and monitors dashboards, results and trends can benefit from becoming CompTIA Data+ certified. Its value extends well beyond the IT team to employees in finance, marketing, manufacturing, operations, sales and other departments tasked with data responsibilities.

The drive toward making greater use of data in decision making impacts both external initiatives and internal operations. In the CompTIA survey 60% of companies said they have increased their focus on data to understand customers better, and 53% are doing so to improve day-to-day operations.

For individuals currently in a job role with data duties, or those ready to join the workforce, CompTIA Data+ training and certification will help them better understand how to organize, mine and analyze data. Mastery of these concepts through learning and validation through certification demonstrates to current and future employers that they have the knowledge and ability to interpret insights from data and communicate those insights in a way that helps the organization.

Accompanying the release of the new exam is the availability of a comprehensive selection of related CompTIA CertMaster learning and exam preparation resources, including:

• CertMaster Learn™ for Data+, a comprehensive, interactive and self-paced eLearning solution.
• CompTIA Labs™ for Data+, hands-on lab simulations to build knowledge and skills.
• CertMaster Practice™ for Data+, an adaptive online companion tool that assesses knowledge and exam readiness.
• Study guides for Data+ for those who prefer traditional textbook style learning.

CompTIA Data+ is the first of four planned data-related certifications that CompTIA intends to develop. Future certifications will focus on data science (CompTIA DataSci+), systems (CompTIA DataSys+) and foundational knowledge (CompTIA Data Foundations). Complete details on CompTIA Data+ are available at https://www.comptia.org/certifications/data.