What can I do with this?
Two courses and two certifications can lead three ways: straight into a job, into more training, or into a paid apprenticeship. Here is what each lane looks like in New Orleans, with a link to every program.
The pathway
- Fall
Course 1 · Tech Foundations
Meets the computer science graduation requirement. It is built to be the computer science course every student takes, with Tech+ prep built in, and every student takes the CompTIA Tech+ exam at the end.
- Spring
Course 2 · IT Support Technician
For students who passed Tech+. Core 1 of the CompTIA A+ exam is the midterm and Core 2 is the final. The goal is to pass both and leave with A+, an advanced industry-based credential.
Built for students in 11th grade and below, so there's time to finish both courses before graduation.
What each one gets you
| Question | Tech+ | A+ |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An entry IT certification | The standard credential for entry-level IT jobs |
| At Delgado | Earns course credit. Which course it replaces, and which certificates it counts toward: confirming with Delgado. | No course credit on Delgado's current list, but it covers material taught in Delgado's IT Support certificate, so you start ahead. Credit by exam for A+ holders: confirming with Delgado. |
| For jobs | A starting point | Can qualify you for support, field tech and data center tech jobs |
| Next step | The A+ course | Network+, which does earn Delgado credit |
Tech+
- What it is
- An entry IT certification
- At Delgado
- Earns course credit. Which course it replaces, and which certificates it counts toward: confirming with Delgado.
- For jobs
- A starting point
- Next step
- The A+ course
A+
- What it is
- The standard credential for entry-level IT jobs
- At Delgado
- No course credit on Delgado's current list, but it covers material taught in Delgado's IT Support certificate, so you start ahead. Credit by exam for A+ holders: confirming with Delgado.
- For jobs
- Can qualify you for support, field tech and data center tech jobs
- Next step
- Network+, which does earn Delgado credit
Credit is from Delgado's 2025–26 prior-learning matrix (PDF). Some entries require the certification to be recent.
Three lanes after A+
Each lane can lead somewhere, and a student can switch lanes later. A help desk job and a Delgado certificate fit together, and so do an apprenticeship and A+.
-
1
Work now
Get hired with A+.
- Help desk technician
- Desktop and field support
- Deployment technician, setting up new computers for a company or school
- Data center technician
Programs and links
What computer support specialists do (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
The duties, the training employers look for, and the outlook for help desk and support jobs. About 48,700 openings a year are expected nationally, mostly to replace people who move on.
The usual next certification after A+. It covers how networks are built, run and fixed, and it is the step toward network and data center work.
-
2
Train more
Keep stacking credentials and credit at Delgado.
- Computer Network Technician certificate
- IT Support certificate
- Cyber Security certificate
- Associate degree in Computer Networking and Cyber Security
Programs and links
Delgado Community College, Computer Networking and Cyber Security
An associate of applied science degree and three shorter certificates: Computer Network Technician, Information Technology Support, and Cyber Security. The courses prepare students for A+, Network+, Security+ and Linux+.
Delgado credit for certifications you already hold (2025–26 matrix, PDF)
Delgado gives course credit for some industry certifications, including Tech+, Network+ and Security+. A+ is not on the current list. Some entries require the certification to be recent, so ask an advisor before you enroll.
-
3
Apprentice
Get paid while you learn a trade.
- Electrical apprentice (IBEW Local 130)
- Line worker trainee
- Low-voltage and cabling installer, usually trained on the job
Programs and links
IBEW Local 130 apprenticeship, New Orleans
A four-year paid electrical apprenticeship run with the contractors who hire its members. Applicants need a high school diploma or GED and a valid driver's license, and they take an aptitude test. Check the page for when the next class opens.
Delgado Certified Line Worker Training
Training to build and repair power lines, started with support from Entergy New Orleans. Applicants must be 18 and have a diploma, GED or HiSET, so this fits after graduation.
Entergy posts lineworker and other skilled-trade jobs, and apprenticeships when they open, under Field and Skilled Trade.
An entry-level cabling credential with a written and a hands-on exam and no experience required. It shows a low-voltage employer that you can run and terminate cable.
Partway through
Passed Tech+ and A+ Core 1, but not Core 2 yet? You are one exam away from the Work Now lane.
- You hold Tech+, along with the Delgado credit it earns.
- Core 1 is on your record, but it is not a certification by itself, so you can't list A+ until you pass Core 2.
- Core 1 only counts with a Core 2 from the same exam series. CompTIA replaces each series every few years, and a Core 1 from a retired series no longer counts, so finish soon.
Finish outside of class
- Retake Core 2 over the summer. Under CompTIA's retake policy there is no wait before a second attempt, and a third attempt needs 14 days in between.
- Delgado Continuing Education offers online career training, including CompTIA courses for A+ and the certifications after it. Check each course page for the price and whether exam vouchers are included.
Why it matters
Data centers, the power grid and the networks that connect them all need people to build and maintain them. Somebody has to run the cable, wire the panels, rack the servers and drive out to the site when something breaks.
That kind of hands-on work is hard to automate, and the region needs more people who can do it. A student who knows how a computer and a network work, and who can prove it with A+, is ready to start in any of these lanes.
Students in the New Orleans Career Center building trades program train in electrical, carpentry, HVAC and welding and earn NCCER credentials. Electrical training plus A+ is a strong combination for low-voltage and data center work, because those jobs need both the wiring and the computers. NCCER Core can also earn credit at Delgado.
What the work pays
| Job | Median pay, New Orleans area | Median pay, U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Computer user support specialist | $59,800 | $61,860 |
| Electrician | $62,490 | $63,190 |
| Telecommunications equipment installer and repairer | $81,090 | $66,200 |
| Electrical power-line installer and repairer | $77,980 | $95,320 |
Median yearly pay for everyone in the job, not starting pay; a new hire or apprentice starts lower. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 data: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for the New Orleans-Metairie area and the Occupational Outlook Handbook for the U.S.
The certifications
- CompTIA Tech+Course 1. The first certification, with no experience needed.
- CompTIA A+Course 2. Two exams, Core 1 and Core 2, the standard entry credential for IT support.
- CompTIA Network+After A+. How networks are built, run and fixed.
- CompTIA Security+After Network+. Securing devices, accounts and networks.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Programs change, so check each link before you apply. If something here is out of date, email sean@muggstech.net.