Who this track is for
This track fits participants who like solving problems, are patient with people who are frustrated, and want a way into technology without a four-year degree. No IT background is expected. Help desk is a common entry point for people who later move into systems administration, networking, or security roles.
Eligibility is the same across all five Foundation programs: young adults ages 16–25 who are aging out of foster care, exiting the juvenile justice system, or otherwise disconnected from school and work. Eligible young adults can apply directly, and case managers or partner agencies can refer someone using the same form. Applicants who are not yet connected to a support agency can still apply; our team can connect them with a partner organization for wraparound support. Participants need reliable internet and a computer; the Foundation can help with equipment. Applicants who are 16 or 17 may need guardian or caseworker consent before enrollment.
Format and weekly rhythm
About 20 weeks at roughly 15–20 hours per week, deliberately below full-time so participants can keep a job or handle school, family, or housing obligations while they train. Because the program is fully online, the specific hours in a week are flexible. The weekly cadence and checkpoints are not.
A typical week includes a live or recorded lesson from the track's volunteer educator, a hands-on assignment that builds on the previous week, a short one-to-one check-in with a mentor, and time on the running project that becomes the portfolio. Educators review the work produced so far at checkpoints before the next stage builds on it, so the program is structured rather than self-paced end to end.
What you learn
Each module corresponds to a line in a typical entry-level job posting for this role. Participants get hands-on time with the categories of software used on the job, and the emphasis is on judgment about the work, not only on operating the tools.
Help-desk fundamentals and ticket triage
Logging issues in a ticketing system (Zendesk, Freshdesk, ServiceNow, and Jira Service Management are common), prioritizing by urgency and impact, and routing anything beyond the technician's level.
Hardware and software troubleshooting
Diagnosing why a device, application, or connection is not working, often by walking a non-technical user through steps over the phone or in a remote session.
Business software setup and support
Onboarding a new hire: creating accounts, configuring common productivity apps, and imaging or setting up a laptop.
Account and access troubleshooting
Password resets, permissions, and basic account administration in Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Active Directory or Entra ID.
Remote support tools
Using TeamViewer, AnyDesk, or the remote-assist features built into Windows and Intune to see and control a user's screen and fix an issue directly.
Basic networking troubleshooting
Wi-Fi and connectivity problems, IP addressing at a working level, and knowing when to escalate to network engineering.
Documentation and knowledge base
Writing up what was wrong and how it was fixed, both for the ticket record and for a knowledge base that speeds up the next similar issue.
AI automation basics and customer service
Using AI-assisted troubleshooting for routine tickets so the technician's time goes to the harder half of the queue, and handling a frustrated caller calmly, in plain language.
Tools used in the track
A ticketing system, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace admin consoles, Active Directory or Entra ID, remote support tools, and command-line networking utilities, in a practice environment.
How the 20 weeks are structured
Fundamentals
How organizations use and break technology, the ticket lifecycle, operating system and productivity-suite basics, and the customer-communication habits the role depends on. Weekly lessons, hands-on labs, and a one-to-one mentor check-in.
Working the queue
Participants resolve tickets in a practice environment across account support, software setup, device troubleshooting, remote sessions, and networking scenarios, and document every fix. Educators review the closed tickets and knowledge-base entries at checkpoints.
Interview readiness and placement
Technical scenario practice (the slow computer, the password reset, the laptop that will not join Wi-Fi), behavioral interview rehearsal with a mentor, and beginning job placement support. Certification exam registration is handled individually based on readiness; completion does not depend on passing an external exam.
How progress is assessed
Progress is tracked primarily through the portfolio of work a participant produces, reviewed periodically by the track's educator against the skill areas the program is meant to build. This is closer to how a manager evaluates an employee's output than to a written exam. Readiness to move toward job placement is a judgment call made jointly by the educator and mentor, based on whether the participant's work and interview readiness would hold up with an employer, not a fixed test score.
When a participant falls behind, the first step is a conversation. If the cause is a housing crisis or a new work schedule, the plan is adjusted, which may mean pausing and rejoining a later cohort. If the track is not a fit, switching tracks is an option. Repeated no-shows without contact are the one pattern the cohort model cannot work around.
Program goal and what happens after
Program goal: the ability to provide entry-level user support and troubleshoot common small-business software systems, with the knowledge base that entry certifications such as CompTIA A+ test.
After completing the track, graduates receive job placement support: staff and mentors help identify openings, prepare application materials, and make direct introductions to employers open to hiring an Azgari Foundation graduate. Mentors stay reachable after graduation. Some graduates also pursue freelance or contract work with mentor support; that is an optional path, not the program's aim.
Enrollment does not guarantee a job, a client, a wage, or any specific income. Individual results vary with effort, market conditions, and personal circumstances. The Foundation will publish program outcomes once a full cohort has graduated.
The job market for this role
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $61,860 (May 2025) for computer user support specialists. Overall employment of computer support specialists is projected to decline about 3 percent from 2025 to 2035 as AI and self-service tools handle more routine tickets, while replacement demand still produces about 48,700 openings a year on average. Employers commonly accept a high school diploma plus relevant IT certifications rather than a four-year degree. A first help desk job will usually pay below the occupation-wide median.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, occupational profile (May 2025 wage data; 2025–2035 projections). Median wages describe the whole occupation, including experienced workers, and are cited as context, not as an expected starting wage for a graduate.
Questions about this track
Do I need a computer science degree?
No. Employers for computer user support roles commonly accept a high school diploma plus relevant certifications or demonstrated skill.
I have never worked in IT. Is that a problem?
That is the expected starting point. The program builds troubleshooting, account support, and ticketing skills from fundamentals, with mentorship for anyone new to the field.
Do I have to pass a certification exam to finish?
No. The curriculum builds the knowledge base that certifications like CompTIA A+ test, but exam registration, fees, and scheduling are handled individually with each participant. Completion is not contingent on passing an external exam.
Is the program online and free?
Yes to both. The IT help desk track is tuition-free and delivered fully online, like the Foundation's other tracks.
Read more in IT Help Desk: 48,700 openings a year and a foot in tech's door and how the five tracks work.