The demand for skilled Apple IT professionals isn't slowing down. As more schools and businesses build their operations around macOS and iOS, they need people who know how to manage, secure, and support those devices at scale — and the talent pipeline hasn't kept pace.
Mesa Community College is helping close that gap. Through the Maricopa Information Technology Institute (MITI), in partnership with Jamf, the college offers the Enterprise IT Professional Apple Technology course series: a hands-on iniative built to turn students into job-ready Apple IT professionals.
Learning by doing
Under instructor Carl Cortez, students get more than lecture time. The initiative combines classroom instruction with real device management experience, covering how to work with macOS and iOS and how to manage them in both business and education environments. Along the way, students earn Jamf 100, Jamf 170, and Jamf 200 certifications, credentials that carry weight with employers already running Jamf in production.
But the certifications are just the entry point. The initiative's real differentiator is what happens next: a capstone project with Maricopa, followed by internships with local industry partners. Students aren't just learning how device management works in theory, they're doing it, in real organizations, with real stakes.
What employers are seeing
That real-world exposure is already showing results. Emily Roberts, Director of IT Service Management at ASU Preparatory Academy, worked directly with one of the MCC's interns, Adrian:
"Adrian approached his internship always from a place of curiosity, willingness to learn and flexible to whatever our needs were to best support our students' learning experience."
It's the kind of feedback that speaks to more than technical chops. IT teams need people who can adapt, collaborate, and keep learning on the job, and that's exactly what this initiative is designed to build alongside the certifications.
A clear path forward
It doesn't stop at graduation. Students get guidance on career paths and job opportunities, with many moving into roles like IT support specialist, systems administrator, or device support technician, all in a job market where Apple skills are increasingly in demand.
We’re proud to say that Mesa Community College's iniative gives students a structured way into the industry: real training, real experience, and real support getting to the next step.
Interested in learning more? Contact Jasmine Garcia, MITI Career Navigator, at jasmine.garcia@mesacc.edu.
If you’re in the Phoenix area or you know someone who is, we’re hosting an informational day to learn more about starting your career in Apple device management. Details below
