IT trade association CompTIA will launch a certification for IT professionals designed to address the shortfall in technicians capable of developing networked home environments.

A spokesman for CompTIA said the skills shortage is hampering growth in the digital home market and making it harder for firms to provide staff with home offices to support flexible working practices.

CompTIA said the Digital Home Technology Integrator+ certificate is the first to provide IT professionals with a means of demonstrating they have acquired “the basic skills and knowledge to configure, integrate, maintain and troubleshoot a home network”. The DHTI+ course will be taught in CompTIA-approved training centres across the UK from March.