When Andre J. walked into the Montgomery County Quarterly Resource Fair for Federal Workers and Jobseekers on July 16, 2025, he carried with him not only a wealth of IT and cybersecurity experience—but also a renewed sense of purpose.
Having completed numerous IT certifications through SkillUp® Montgomery’s IT Certification Program, Andre credits WorkSource Montgomery (WSM), WIOA, and Metrix Learning with helping him retool and refocus after a layoff. “I owe a lot to this program. I’ve learned a lot and I’ve achieved a lot,” he said during an interview at the fair. “As a result of Montgomery County, in the state of Maryland—or what I like to call the ‘state of freedom’—and WorkSource Montgomery, the fact that I was able to achieve so much was amazing.”
Andre came into SkillUp® Montgomery with two certifications—Network+ and Security+—but through focused effort and the support of WSM and Metrix Learning staff, he earned four more, including the highly respected CISSP. “Now I have six certifications total—Network+, Security+, CySA+, ITILv4, Security X, and the CISSP. That last one was extremely difficult—anyone in IT will tell you!”