Climb Hire: Free IT Training and Development for Orange County Residents
IT training and development in Orange County
Climb Hire offers a fully remote IT Support program open to low-income adults across Orange County. Throughout our beginner-friendly course, you'll build practical, job-ready skills that fully prepare you to land an entry-level IT role.
Nothing to pay—tuition and exams included
Climb Hire training costs nothing for all students, thanks to funding from government grants and philanthropic organizations. Plus, we cover the cost of the CompTIA A+ certification exams—the credential most hiring managers expect to see on a resume.
Career support alongside technical training
Our IT Support course includes professional development alongside your coursework: resume building, interview prep, job search strategy, and how to talk about your skills to employers. More than 80% of Climbers find work within a year of completing the program.
My time at Climb Hire has been very positive and very challenging. It has pushed me to learn and do new things I’ve never done before. Even things like soft skills, something I already felt very comfortable with, Climb Hire has helped me to improve. Dedicating yourself to the work and reaching out to the community that Climb Hire has created are two great things that can help you be successful.
You learn a lot at Climb Hire but it is not impossible! Someone is always around to help guide you as well as encourage you. It’s a wonderful community that’s always cheering on your success and mistakes!
IT training and development
Climb Hire’s IT Support program is fully remote and prepares you for CompTIA A+ certification. Live, instructor-led classes over Zoom give you real-time access to feedback and support as you build technical confidence:
- Learn how operating systems, networks, and hardware work together and interact
- Practice troubleshooting common software, hardware, and connectivity issues
- Develop foundational knowledge of security principles, cloud computing, virtualization, and more
- Apply your skills through real-world projects and scenario-based technical exercises
Plus, you'll have the option to earn the Google IT Support Professional Certificate as an additional credential.
Aside from learning the foundational IT knowledge, the curriculum also covers professional communication, workplace expectations, and the soft skills that help you ace interviews and on the job.
It's a part-time commitment for six months—about 20 hours a week, split between nine hours of live instruction and eleven hours of independent coursework.
Career support
Every Climb Hire student receives dedicated job placement support to help them move into an IT role after graduation:
- Six months of one-on-one coaching from a Career Development Advisor
- Help building a strong resume, LinkedIn profile, and personal pitch
- Practice interviews with specific feedback to sharpen your skills
- A 12-month LinkedIn Premium membership to increase your network and access to job opportunities
- Access to the Alumni Network Portal, with curated job listings and employer connections
Our alumni have gone on to work at companies like Google, Discord, IBM, and Salesforce.
Added support
Keeping up with a training program is a lot easier when your basic needs are covered. That’s why Climb Hire partners with SNAP, so eligible students can access food assistance while enrolled.
We’re also working to expand support offerings in areas like childcare, internet access, and other learning accommodations. Check back for updates as those resources become available.
Eligibility requirements
To apply for Climb Hire’s IT Support program, you must:
- Live in California (or Colorado)
- Earn $30k per year or less
- Be between the ages of 24 and 40
- Have legal authorization to work in the US
- Be able to commit 20 hours per week for the full six months
- Have access to a computer with a webcam and a microphone
Meet our climbers
Elysia Brewster
Former: Substitute Teacher
Current: Loan Consultant Associate
“I always felt that my lack of higher education would prohibit me from getting a good job. At times I was even uncomfortable engaging with educated white people. I’ve worked since I was 15 years old, barely making ends meet. Through Climb Hire I was able to learn skills that would help me secure and land a great job. Thankfully, I am able to provide for my children and pave the way.”
Chris Randolph
Former: Customer Service
Current: Loan Processing Expert
"I️ started in the workforce at 18 years old but always doubted that I would be able to obtain a career I loved without a college education. Climb Hire has given me the confidence l needed to get my foot in the door at organizations that would have otherwise been out of reach. I'm excited to be starting a new journey with Better and look forward to staying connected with the Climb Hire community.”
Fiona Wen
Former: Stay-at-home Parent
Current: Loan Consultant Associate
“The reason I joined Climb Hire is because I wanted to be a financially independent woman. I wanted to prove to my family that I am worth more than being a stay home mom. It was a long journey of job hunting. I'm beyond grateful for my new role at Better.”
Karine Durand
Former: Family Assistant
Current: Marketing Associate
“Climb Hire really helped me discover the tools and habits to make my life more organized and efficient which translated really well to a corporate environment. In my new role as a Marketing Associate at BetterUp, I’ve been using a lot of the soft-skills concepts we learned, such as effectively communicating during group projects by establishing clear expectations and checking in with my project mates.”
Austin Sanchez
Former: Retail Sales
Current: Software Engineering Apprentice
"I lost my vision after eleven years of being able to see and it changed the way I make decisions. It wasn’t until I took the risk of joining the Climb Hire that I discovered the strength I gained from living with a disability. With all of these new skills I gained at Climb Hire, I was able to land a position with IBM as a Software Engineering Apprentice.”
Miguel Ruiz
Former: Food Worker
Current: Software Engineering Apprentice
"I️ worked as a cook in a Silicon Valley company's cafeteria for nearly six years. I felt stuck. Despite the adversities of having no formal education and English being my second language, I knew there was more in me. My Climb Hire community kept me strong and focused on my goal. I landed my first job in tech and am a Software Engineering Apprentice at Bluewolf, an IBM Company. I am so proud to be a Climber and an IBMer!”
Our San Francisco address
2261 Market Street STE 10955
San Francisco, CA 94114
San Francisco, CA 94114
Additional IT training and development options in Orange County
If Climb Hire isn't the right fit—whether that's the eligibility requirements, schedule, or something else—here are other IT training centers and programs in Orange County to consider.
NOCROP offers career training for adults in Anaheim across a range of fields, including IT. You'll learn from industry-experienced instructors with hands-on training at local worksites. Courses availability varies, so check their site for current offerings.
The EDD connects job seekers with free or low-cost training through its Eligible Training Provider List, with approved providers across Orange County and the rest of California. Options include tech certifications, apprenticeships, and vocational programs in a range of fields, including information technology.
Orange County United Way offers a workforce development program called UpSkill OC that connects unemployed and underemployed Orange County adults to in-person training and employment opportunities in various fields. IT is one of the program's focus sectors, alongside healthcare and the trades.
ONLC provides IT training through live online classes, self-paced courses, and on-site training at centers in Orange and Irvine—as well as nearby in Los Angeles and San Diego. Course topics include CompTIA, AWS, Python, Java, HTML, CSS, Excel, and more. Corporate and group training options are also available.
California IT in Education runs a live, Zoom-based bootcamp covering CompTIA A+ exam objectives, which cover the IT fundamentals to land an entry-level role in the field. Instruction is delivered by IT professionals, with member and non-member pricing available.
GA runs live online bootcamps spanning various IT fields, including software development, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and IT fundamentals. Full-time and part-time programs are available and last 12 weeks or longer. Tuition ranges from $7k to $17k depending on the program.
OC colleges and universities with IT training options
OCC offers various IT certificate programs covering networking, IT security, and CompTIA A+ prep, and can be completed in under two years. Tuition is $46 per unit for California residents, with online and evening options available.
Fullerton's Computer Information Systems department offers certificates and degrees in networking, cybersecurity, and other IT fields. The cybersecurity program is nationally recognized as outstanding by the Department of Homeland Security and NSA. Tuition is $46 per unit for California residents.
SAC offers a three-part online CompTIA A+ prep series covering hardware, software, and networking/security across 72 hours of instructor-moderated coursework. The course costs $380 and does not include exam vouchers.
IVC offers self-paced online CompTIA certification bundles through its career training division. One option covers TECH+, A+, Network+, and Security+ with all exam vouchers included for $5k. A shorter A+, Network+, and Security+ bundle is also available $4.3k. Both can be completed within 12 months.