Getting into IT after the Army with ArmyIgnitED

If you are a current Enlisted Soldier, or in the Reserve or Army National Guard you have the opportunity to accelerate your professional development before returning back to civilian life. Read below to see what IT training is available through your ArmyIgnitED education benefits.

What is ArmyIgnitED?

As mentioned in our previous blog, ArmyIgnitED- Utilize Army Credentialing Assistance for Education Benefits, ArmyIgnitED is the new credentialing system that was once Army Cool and GoArmyED. This Army education benefit program allows military members the opportunity to pay for industry-recognized credentials that will enhance their skills and qualifications both during and after military service.

Who Qualifies

• Regular Army
• Active Guard/Selected Reserve (AGR)
• U.S. Army Reserve (USAR)
• Army National Guard (ARNG)

Why Pursue IT Certifications

The transition from military to civilian life can be difficult, but the skills gained while serving are often transferable into the private sector. In addition, if you become certified in IT before being discharged, you could also qualify for many government jobs after the military.

Now more than ever the demand for qualified candidates to fill job roles in IT has become an overwhelming task for employers. Every day the demand grows larger, yet the talent pool continues to dry up. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that employment in computer and information technology will grow 11% (higher than average) with a majority of demand focused on cloud computing, data collection & storage and information security.

Some of the most popular certifications for jobs after the Army include:

Cybersecurity and Risk Management

Certified Cybersecurity Analyst (median wage $98,350)

Certified Information Security Manager (median wage $120,000)

EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) (median wage $83,591)

Cloud Computing

Architecting on AWS (median wage $129,868)

Developing on AWS (median wage $130,272)

Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies (median wage $98,350)

Certified Solutions Architect (median wage $153,000)

Microsoft Azure Administrator (median wage $84,000)

Data Collection and Storage

Designing and Implementing a Data Science Solution on Azure (median wage $95,000)

Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate (median wage $135,000)

Administering Relational Databases on Microsoft Azure (median wage $89,675)

No degree? No problem…

No need for student loans, or tons of years of experience. The educational assistance available for you to utilize while in active service allows you to get trained in the latest technologies and validate your skills with the necessary certification exam(s).

If not having a degree has made you hesitant to pursue a career in technology, then you should know that a majority of positions are attainable with only the required certification(s), and a degree is not required. The IT sector has many available jobs with no degree requirement and still provide you with amazing job growth potential and the ability to be successful.

How to use ArmyIgnitED for IT training?

All approved credentials listed for ArmyIgnitED are analyzed carefully and proven to be relevant to a military occupation and meets official credential standards. Many of the approved IT credentials include some of the most in-demand and top paying IT certifications.

In order to begin utilizing Army funding for IT training a member will need to:

• Explore options on Army Cool
• Align credentials to MOS/ASI or other pursuits
• Select desired credential
• Apply for Army Credentialing Assistance CA
• Execute CA Request
• Earn Credential

TechSherpas 365 offers all-inclusive certification courses for Microsoft, Cybersecurity, CompTIA, Cisco, Amazon Web Services, Project Management and ITIL for eligible ArmyIgnitED credentials. View all of the current eligible training programs here.