* The Technology Retraining and Investment Now Act of 2004
Training provider New Horizons got in touch with me the other day to talk about certifications and where the industry is headed. Among the topics COO Martin Bean and I discussed was his other role as chairman of CompTIA’s U.S. public policy committee. He is currently working with Congress on the TRAIN Act, which its sponsors hope will help kick-start IT education in the U.S.
The Technology Retraining and Investment Now Act of 2004 was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives in May last year. It is designed to give tax credits of up to $5,000 to each U.S. taxpayer who attend qualified technology-related training. The credit is open to employees, the unemployed and displaced workers. Employers can apply for their employees’ credits and aggregate those to fund broader base education in their organizations, Bean says.
The great thing about this Act is that it not only applies to IT professionals, but also to people who are required to use technology in their jobs.
The sponsors of the Act hope the legislation will help put the U.S. workforce on the same education level as workers overseas and enable U.S. IT pros to compete better with their counterparts in popular offshore outsourcing countries.
The credit, which can be as much as $8,000 for people in some economically poor areas, can be applied to a broad range of programs, from vocational and/or private certification courses, to related college expenses.
This is an excellent piece of legislation and we hope it will pass through the various stages with ease.
