Project Lead The Way (PLTW) has announced a new partnership with CompTIA aimed at strengthening cybersecurity education for students and preparing them for real-world technology careers. Through this collaboration, PLTW Cybersecurity students will gain a unique opportunity to pursue the globally recognized Security+ certification, one of the most respected credentials in the cybersecurity industry. The initiative marks an important step in PLTW’s effort to transform its cybersecurity course into a comprehensive career-launching program that equips students with practical skills and professional validation before they enter the workforce.
As cybersecurity threats continue to grow in complexity and frequency, the demand for skilled professionals has increased significantly. Consequently, industry-recognized certifications have become a critical factor in helping candidates stand out in the job market. According to research conducted by CompTIA, approximately 93% of human resource professionals prioritize industry-recognized certifications when evaluating candidates for technology-related roles. By integrating Security+ certification preparation into its curriculum, PLTW aims to ensure that students graduate with both academic knowledge and credentials that demonstrate their capabilities to employers.
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“Our goal is to ensure PLTW Cybersecurity students enter the field with a proven advantage,” said Jason Rausch, SVP of Instructional Design for Project Lead The Way. “Aligning our curriculum with CompTIA Security+, further strengthens our course outcomes and gives students authentic practice and clear milestones as they prepare to become the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.”
To support students in preparing for the Security+ exam, PLTW will provide access to the CompTIA CertMaster suite, a comprehensive set of learning and exam-preparation resources. These tools are specifically designed to build technical knowledge, strengthen practical skills, and increase confidence ahead of the certification exam. As a result, students will benefit from structured learning content that mirrors real-world cybersecurity challenges.
The CertMaster suite includes several key components. CertMaster Learn offers an extensive training experience with 85 hands-on labs, 272 instructional videos, and 95 assessments that collectively provide approximately 63 hours of guided learning. Additionally, CertMaster Practice features adaptive practice exams that help students become comfortable with the testing format while identifying areas where they may need further study. Finally, the program includes a Security+ exam voucher, enabling students to directly pursue the official certification upon completing their preparation.
Importantly, PLTW educators will also receive free access to these premium resources, ensuring they have the tools necessary to effectively guide students through the certification process. This educator support plays a crucial role in ensuring the curriculum delivers both academic rigor and real-world applicability.
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“By integrating CompTIA’s Security+ curriculum and certification into PLTW’s cybersecurity sequence, we’re giving high school students access to cybersecurity skills and a credential employers recognize. CompTIA’s Security+ content is aligned to industry frameworks and built for the classroom, giving PLTW educators ready-made resources that translate directly into real-word cyber skills for their students,” said Mark Plunkett, EVP of Academic Sales and GTM for CompTIA.
“This partnership allows us to reach more learners with high-quality content and helps address the urgent need for cybersecurity professionals by preparing more students, earlier, to step into these critical roles.”
The Security+ certification covers five essential cybersecurity domains, including security architecture, operations, risk management, and threat detection. These domains align naturally with PLTW’s hands-on cybersecurity labs and coursework. As a result, educators can incorporate the certification framework into capstone projects, simulated threat-hunting exercises, and real-world cyber defense scenarios.
Overall, the partnership between PLTW and CompTIA represents a significant step toward bridging the gap between classroom learning and professional cybersecurity careers. By combining industry-aligned curriculum, certification pathways, and practical training resources, the initiative aims to empower students with the knowledge, credentials, and confidence needed to succeed in the rapidly evolving cybersecurity workforce.
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