As an IT Director, you know the strain of managing thousands of student devices. Every cracked screen, failed hard drive, or faulty network card means downtime for students and hours of extra work for your team. Sending devices out for repair drains budgets and slows turnaround—leaving classrooms waiting.

Now imagine transforming this challenge into an opportunity: students themselves learning to troubleshoot and repair devices as part of a Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathway offered through SchoolDay’s Academy, powered by Coursera.

By adopting the CompTIA A+ Learning Path, your district can prepare students for high-demand IT careers while reducing costs and improving service by keeping repairs in-house. This is where career readiness and operational efficiency align.

Career Snapshot

• Median Salary: Approximately $60,000 annually for entry-level IT support specialists.
  
• Job Outlook: 5% projected growth through 2032 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
  
• Time to Complete: Around 6–9 months, at 5–8 hours per week.
  
• Credential: CompTIA A+ Professional Certificate (multiple courses) — offered by SchoolDay Academy, powered by Coursera.
  
• Delivery Options: Classroom-based or virtual, allowing students to learn during or after school hours.
  

Why CompTIA A+ Belongs in Your CTE Programs

CompTIA A+ is the industry’s most trusted entry-level IT certification, covering the fundamentals of hardware, software, networking, and security. Employers across education, healthcare, and finance rely on it as proof of job-ready technical skills.

Integrating CompTIA A+ through SchoolDay Academy delivers a dual impact:

• For Students: Hands-on technical training aligned to Perkins V priorities, leading to a nationally recognized credential.
  
• For Districts: Lower repair costs, faster turnaround times, and a student workforce gaining real-world experience servicing district devices.
  
  

By turning everyday device challenges into authentic learning, you create a living lab where students gain practical IT skills while supporting school operations.

Skills Students Will Develop

Students gain essential skills across IT support, networking, and cybersecurity fundamentals, including:

• Hardware Repair & Maintenance: Diagnose and replace hardware components such as RAM, drives, and peripherals.
  
• Technical Support Operations: Learn help desk workflows, ticket management, and remote support best practices.
  
• Networking & Security Essentials: Troubleshoot wired/wireless connections and apply data protection measures.
  
• Cloud Computing & Virtualization: Understand cloud environments and virtualization tools.
  
• Customer Support & Communication: Build soft skills for professional IT service and teamwork.
  
  

Pathway Details & Certifications

The CompTIA A+ Learning Path through SchoolDay Academy, powered by Coursera includes a sequence of courses that build both knowledge and hands-on experience:

• IT Fundamentals & Hardware Essentials (Packt) – Install, configure, and troubleshoot hardware devices; understand computer architecture and support workflows.
  
• Introduction to Technical Support (IBM) – Explore help desk operations, ticketing systems, and customer communication.
  
• Networking, Cloud & Security Foundations – Troubleshoot networks, apply security protocols, and learn about virtualization.
  
• Practice Exams for CompTIA A+ Core 1 & Core 2 (IBM) – Simulate certification tests, identify knowledge gaps, and build confidence.
  

Upon completion, students earn a Learning Path badge, signaling readiness for the official CompTIA A+ certification exam.

Real-World Benefits for Students and Districts

For Students

• Graduate with an industry-recognized IT certification.
  
• Gain hands-on experience repairing and maintaining real devices.
  
• Build career-ready skills in troubleshooting, networking, and customer service.
  
• Enter the workforce prepared for IT support, help desk, or technical operations roles.
  
  

For Districts

• Reduce repair costs by keeping maintenance in-house.
  
• Shorten turnaround times, minimizing classroom downtime.
  
• Develop a talent pipeline—students trained in IT today can become your technicians tomorrow.
  
• Demonstrate innovation and efficiency, blending workforce development with operational success.
  
  

Few programs benefit both students and operations equally—CompTIA A+ delivers on both fronts.

Why SchoolDay Academy Recommends CompTIA A+

At SchoolDay Academy (SDA), we help districts merge career readiness with operational excellence.

The CompTIA A+ Learning Path, offered through SchoolDay Academy powered by Coursera, stands out because it:

• Aligns with Perkins V and state workforce readiness priorities.
  
• Supports both student certification and district efficiency goals.
  
• Scales easily across districts of any size, using existing devices and classrooms.
  
  

By curating CompTIA A+ through Coursera, SchoolDay Academy ensures students receive industry-validated, cost-effective training that delivers immediate value to schools.

Final Thoughts

With CompTIA A+, districts aren’t just fixing broken devices—they’re building future-ready IT professionals. Students earn valuable certifications, districts save money, and classrooms get devices back in service faster.

Explore and enroll in the CompTIA A+ Career Pathway on SchoolDay Academy (powered by Coursera) to transform device repair challenges into career-ready success stories.