MicroTrain Technologies

What MicroTrain Technologies does

MicroTrain Technologies is a privately held professional training company founded in 1999 and operating under the legal entity 42NorthGroup, INC. The company delivers instructor-led classroom and virtual training programs preparing individuals for industry-recognized certifications across IT, project management, agile, and business process disciplines, including CompTIA (A+, Network+, Security+), Cisco (CCNA, CCNP), PMP, ITIL, Six Sigma, Scrum, Microsoft (MCSA/MCSE, Power BI, Project), Tableau, VMware, and Data Science tracks. MicroTrain operates four physical training facilities in the Chicagoland area (downtown Chicago, Oak Brook, Lombard, and Deerfield), holds Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) approval, is a PMI-authorized Global Registered Education Provider, and is approved as a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) training provider. The company explicitly discloses that it is not accredited by a US Department of Education-recognized accrediting body.

The revenue model combines three streams: individual tuition ($500–$16,280 per program), corporate training engagements (custom programs, room rentals, and recruitment services), and pass-through certification exam fees ($100–$668). Pricing spans from individual certifications such as CSPO at $1,260 and CompTIA A+ at $2,695 to comprehensive bundled programs like the A+/Network+/PMP/MCSE/CCNA package at $16,280. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, leveraging the company website, social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook), job fairs, IllinoisWorknet workforce development centers, and referrals from professional organizations (PMI, Scrum Alliance). Supporting the core training business is TheProfessional.Me platform, which provides career planning, resume gap analysis, personal branding, and job search tools, extending the company's reach into adjacent career-services revenue.

MicroTrain claims a 96% first-attempt PMP pass rate, an Exam Pass Guarantee, and reports having trained over 10,000 individual and corporate students cumulatively since founding. The company serves four primary customer segments: unemployed/transitioning professionals (primarily via WIOA funding), IT professionals seeking certifications, project managers pursuing PMP/CAPM, and corporate clients training their workforce. Ownership is private and bootstrapped with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional investment, and no parent company or subsidiary relationships. Operations are confined to the US Midwest (Illinois) with no global footprint claimed.

Name

MicroTrain Technologies

Legal name

42NorthGroup, INC

Website

https://microtrain.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MicroTrain Technologies is a privately held Chicagoland-based training company founded in 1999 that delivers instructor-led IT and project management certification programs (CompTIA, Cisco, PMP, Scrum) to individuals, career-transition professionals, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification Training

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Vendor/Authorized Certification Training (Microsoft/AWS/Cisco, etc.) (BPAEANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Infrastructure, Networking & Systems Administration Training (BPAEANAJ), Networking & Telecommunications (Routing/Switching, Wireless, VoIP) (EDABAFAG), Information Technology & Software (EDAAAPAB), Technical Bootcamps & Accelerated Reskilling (Full-time/Part-time) (BPAEANAE)

Keywords

• IT certification training
• Project management training
• Professional development courses
• Workforce development programs
• Technical skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lombard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Training Programs: Revenue from individual students paying for certification courses and bundled programs. Students pay tuition for courses ranging from $500 to $9,000+ depending on program length and certification type.
2. Corporate Training Services: Customized training programs for businesses including room rentals, corporate training sessions, and recruitment services.
3. Certification Exam Fees: Additional exam fees passed through to certification bodies (CompTIA, PMI, Cisco, etc.) ranging from $100 to $668 per exam.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MicroTrain Technologies is an instructor-led technical and project management training provider that delivers certification preparation courses (CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, PMI, Scrum Alliance, ITIL, Six Sigma, Tableau) to individuals and corporate clients. The company also offers career services, WIOA-funded workforce training programs for unemployed professionals, room rentals at its facilities, and recruitment services. Programs are delivered in-person at training facilities in Chicago, Oak Brook, Lombard, and Deerfield, as well as virtually and on-site at corporate locations.

Product overview

MicroTrain Technologies offers instructor-led technical and project management training programs primarily for individuals seeking career advancement or re-entry into the workforce. The company's portfolio consists of single-course certification preparations (CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+; Cisco CCNA, CCNP; PMP, ITIL 4, Lean Six Sigma, Scrum certifications, Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, Data Science with R, and Microsoft Office applications) and bundled training programs that combine multiple certifications (IT Management +6, Project Management Professional +1 through +4, Cisco Associate/Professional/CCNP pathways, A+/Network+/PMP/MCSE/CCNA, VM Training programs). The offerings are organized around three main categories: Development (Agile Full Stack Web Development), Technology certifications (Cisco, CompTIA, VMware), and Management (PMP, ITIL, Scrum, Six Sigma). The company also provides an Exam Pass Guarantee and WIOA-approved training for workforce development. MicroTrain operates facilities in Chicago, Oak Brook, Lombard, and Deerfield, serving individual students and corporate clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% first-attempt PMP exam pass rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Certstaffix Training: IT certification training provider offering instructor-led and live-online classes for CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, AWS, and PMP with similar mid-market corporate and individual segment focus.
• New Horizons Computer Learning Centers: Global network of instructor-led IT training centers offering vendor-authorized certification courses (Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA, AWS) with similar career-services bundle and corporate training arm - directly comparable to MicroTrain's classroom-based model.
• Project Management Academy: Specialized PMP and PMI-authorized training provider with both classroom and live-online delivery; directly comparable in scope and certification focus to MicroTrain's PMP certification training arm.
• Learning Tree International: Instructor-led IT and management training company delivering PMP, ITIL, Scrum, and vendor certification courses with both in-person classroom and corporate on-site delivery, comparable headcount and business model to MicroTrain.
• ONLC Training Centers: Authorized IT training provider with a network of classroom locations delivering Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA, and similar certifications; same instructor-led classroom franchise model as MicroTrain.

Broad incumbents

• Global Knowledge (NTT): Large, established IT and business training provider offering vendor-authorized certification training and corporate enterprise programs across a much broader geographic footprint; overlaps directly with MicroTrain's certification portfolio but at much larger scale.
• Skillsoft: Large enterprise learning platform with extensive IT, leadership, and project management content including PMP and ITIL prep; broader portfolio and digital delivery but overlapping content categories with MicroTrain.

Emerging players

• Simplilearn: Online bootcamp-style training provider covering PMP, Scrum, AWS, Azure, and cybersecurity certifications - same certification targets as MicroTrain but delivered through blended and self-paced digital formats.
• Udemy Business: Massive online learning marketplace with deep IT and project management course catalog including PMP, CompTIA, and Microsoft certifications; competing indirect channel for budget-conscious learners who might otherwise attend MicroTrain.
• Pluralsight: Originally grew from IT certification prep (TrainSignal) into a large online skills platform covering the same certification tracks as MicroTrain (Azure, Cisco, AWS, Power BI); represents the digital substitute for MicroTrain's classroom offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/microtrain
• Facebookfacebook.com/microtrain
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/microtrain-technologies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MicroTrain Technologies