ON THE JOB

CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association, in June announced it received a 20-month, $550,000 grant from the Labor Department's Employment and Training Administration to develop an information technology technical support specialist apprenticeship.

An apprenticeship consists of technical instruction and on-the-job training under the supervision of an experienced worker.

Programs such as the apprenticeship offer a possible solution to the IT work-force shortage, said John Venator, CompTIA president and chief executive officer. The Lombard, Ill., nonprofit association estimates there are 400,000 open IT jobs in the United States.

A tax credit included in the omnibus tax cut package signed by President Bush last month provides a 25 percent tax credit for employers, up to a maximum of $150,000 per year, for expenses related to providing child care for their employees.

The new law covers expenses for capital costs associated with building, acquiring, expanding or repairing an on- or near-site child care center, back-up center or get-well child care facility, including joint investments made by a consortium of businesses.

It also covers operating costs of that child care center and child care slots reserved by employers in offsite child care centers. The law also includes a tax credit for 10 percent of child care resource and referral expenses for employers providing that service.

CDW Computer Centers Inc. of Vernon Hills, Ill., a reseller of technology products and services, is inviting IT professionals to submit their most memorable on-the-job challenge, most over-the-top user request or any other story that conveys a "Fred-like" experience.

The "Fred Story" contest was created in response to enthusiastic customer feedback the company received from its recent TV spots. The spots feature a fictional, unseen IT professional named Fred who is bombarded with unreasonable requests and endless problems from coworkers, who mean no harm but often need the most basic technological assistance.

CDW will select the top five Fred stories Oct. 1. Winners will receive a trip to Las Vegas for the Comdex show, Nov. 12-16. Stories can be submitted at www.CDW.com/fred. All entries must be received by July 31.