IT Training Courses, From CompTIA A+ to CCNA
IT training for your team: CompTIA, CCNA, Azure and Linux. Every Empath Learn seat includes more than 4,900 IT courses, labs included. For your clients, the Curated Collection is premium in Empath Grow.
7 Areas
From Certifications and Cloud to Code and Data
100+
Empath Courses for MSPs
40+
Hands-On Labs by Skillsoft
4,800+
Curated Collection Courses
Start Here: Start IT Training by MSP Role
The first IT assignment depends on whether the employee handles tickets, client conversations or deeper hardware work.
- For a new desk tech Introduction to Tickets and Triage Empath, 44 min Learn ticket intake.
- For a client-facing tech Soft Skills for Techs Empath, 74 min Practice clear user communication.
- For an A+ candidate CompTIA A+ Training 220-1201: Hardware Empath, 260 min Begin a longer hardware track.
Use the Help Desk T1 pathway to turn the desk option into an ordered onboarding plan.
What Does IT Training Cover?
IT training teaches the skills that keep a business's computers and networks running, on site and in the cloud. The largest group of courses follows a certification track, such as CompTIA A+ or Cisco CCNA.
The Information Technology list in the Empath course catalog has more than 4,900 courses, about 6,800 hours of training. They sit in seven areas:
- 1,400+ courses in Certification Tracks: CompTIA, AWS and Azure
- 900+ in Programming & Development: Java and Python
- 850+ in IT General: AI and MSP tools
- 550+ in Web Development & Design: HTML and CSS
- 500+ in Cloud Computing: Azure and AWS
- 350+ in Networking & Infrastructure: Windows Server and Linux
- 200+ in Data & Databases: SQL and data science
The biggest topics, counted by course title:
- 350+ CompTIA courses, Professor Messer's among them, with 100+ on A+ and 40+ on Network+
- 300+ Azure training courses, 350+ on AWS and 70+ on Google Cloud
- 50+ CCNA training courses for Cisco networking
- 70+ Linux training courses, plus Windows Server and Active Directory
- 100+ Python courses, 200+ on Java and 60+ on SQL
- 70+ courses on Docker and Kubernetes
Empath also teaches MSP tools: HaloPSA, Rewst and ImmyBot. For security skills, see the cybersecurity courses; for Microsoft 365 apps, the software and productivity courses.
One title can match two topics, so the topic counts overlap.
Courses Included in Every Empath Learn Seat
Every seat on every plan includes them. Titles appear exactly as they do in Empath.
Built for MSPs by Empath
More than 100 courses in this category come from Empath's own catalog for MSPs, among them 14 Professor Messer courses for the current CompTIA A+ and Network+. Five of the 100+:
- CompTIA A+ Training 220-1201: Hardware, Empath. Professor Messer on hardware, for the current A+. 260 minutes.
- CompTIA Network+ N10-009: Networking Concepts, Empath. Professor Messer on how networks work, for the current Network+. 277 minutes.
- Microsoft Intune, Empath. Endpoint management for the techs who run your clients' devices. 246 minutes.
- Introduction to Tickets and Triage, Empath. How MSP work arrives as tickets and gets sorted. 44 minutes.
- Soft Skills for Techs, Empath. The people side of support, for technicians. 74 minutes.
Microsoft Learn
Microsoft's own Azure and Microsoft 365 training is in every seat too. Its 4,600+ items have their own list and are not counted among the 4,900+ Information Technology courses here. Microsoft Learn progress syncs into Empath daily; qualifying staff certifications linked in Partner Center can contribute to Solutions Partner status. See the Microsoft Learn catalog.
The Curated Collection
More than 4,800 Curated Collection courses in this category, largely from Skillsoft, Packt and LearnNowOnline. Five of them:
- AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator (Part 1 of 5): Deploy and Manage Azure Compute Resources, LearnNowOnline. Azure administration, the first of five parts. 373 minutes.
- Mastering Windows Server 2019, Packt. Server administration for your techs. 163 minutes.
- Hands-On PowerShell for Active Directory, Packt. Scripting for the people who run Active Directory. 214 minutes.
- Linux Command Line for Beginners, Packt. Linux basics at the command line. 282 minutes.
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (Part 1 of 7): Intro to Cloud Computing, LearnNowOnline. An introduction to cloud computing on AWS. 95 minutes.
Two of its 40+ hands-on labs in this category, both from Skillsoft:
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Lab, Skillsoft. Configure switches and routers in a live lab. 21 hours.
- Azure Cloud Sandbox Lab, Skillsoft. A real, no-risk Azure environment in the browser. 120 minutes.
Plus 350+ CompTIA courses, 300+ on Azure, 100+ on Python and Empath's courses on HaloPSA, Rewst and ImmyBot. See the full course list.
“Still loving the platform! ... Nick Ross's Intune series is phenomenal in that category”
Hands-On IT Labs Included
The labs come with the Curated Collection: in every Empath Learn seat, and for every Empath Grow client you add the Collection for.
Hands-On Labs
Your techs configure Cisco switches and routers, and more, in a live lab in the browser. Topics include CompTIA, CCNA, Azure, AWS, Linux and Python.
Short Guided Labs
Guided labs of 30 to 45 minutes, such as configuring a wireless access point or exploring Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
Is IT Training Included or Premium?
Included for your team in Empath Learn. Premium for your clients in Empath Grow.
Empath Learn
Included with every seat on every plan: the IT courses from Empath and the Curated Collection, labs included, plus Microsoft Learn.
Empath Grow
The Curated Collection is the premium catalog with the IT courses and labs. In Empath Grow, each client has the Curated Collection or Bigger Brains, not both.
Bigger Brains, the other Grow choice, covers Microsoft 365 apps such as Excel and Teams: more than 150 courses. It is for Grow only, because the Curated Collection in Learn already includes Bigger Brains courses.
Clip Training has eight Windows 11 courses. You can add it for your team in Learn or for your clients in Grow.
Premium catalogs work the same on Grow and Grow Lite. For costs, see plans and pricing.
Who Is IT Training For?
Your own team first, then your clients' staff.
- Your help desk and technicians, NOC and project techs included
- New hires who are new to IT and need the basics first
- Your clients' in-house IT staff, through the Curated Collection in Empath Grow
For more roles, read the Empath help article on whether Empath training is only for technicians.
Questions About IT Training
Short answers for MSP owners choosing IT training for their team or their clients.
What is a basic IT certification?
A basic IT certification proves entry-level skills, such as CompTIA A+ for support work or Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals for cloud. As of October 2026, Empath Learn has nine Professor Messer courses for the current A+, among them CompTIA A+ Training 220-1201: Hardware. Empath does not issue certifications: your tech studies in Empath and takes the exam with CompTIA or Microsoft.
Which IT courses are best for beginners?
Start with IT basics, then move on to CompTIA A+. A new tech at an MSP can take Empath's IT and computer basics course first, then CompTIA A+ Training 220-1201: Hardware and Introduction to Tickets and Triage, all in every Empath Learn seat. The Information Technology list in Empath also has more than 850 courses marked Beginner.
How long does it take to train in IT?
IT training takes from under an hour for one topic to many hours for a certification track. Introduction to Tickets and Triage runs 44 minutes. A track spans several courses and labs: the Curated Collection's Azure administration series has five parts, and its Cisco CCNA lab alone runs 21 hours. Empath tracks each person's progress.
What are the top 5 IT skills?
Five of the biggest IT skills by course title in Empath are cloud (350+ AWS, 300+ Azure), programming (200+ Java), IT support (100+ CompTIA A+), Linux administration (70+ Linux) and containers (70+ Docker and Kubernetes). The counts overlap, because one title can match two topics.
Is IT training included in Empath Learn?
Yes. Every Empath Learn seat includes IT training from Empath and the Curated Collection, on every plan. That is more than 4,900 courses in the Information Technology list, 40+ hands-on labs from Skillsoft among them. Microsoft Learn's Azure and Microsoft 365 training is included too, in its own list.
Which IT catalog can my clients get in Empath Grow?
In Empath Grow, the Curated Collection is the premium catalog for IT skills, hands-on labs included. Bigger Brains, the other choice, covers Microsoft 365 apps such as Excel and Teams. In Empath Grow, each client has the Curated Collection or Bigger Brains, not both. Both work the same on Grow Lite.