The Linux Foundation is moving to make it simpler to attain certifications across a broad swath of open source technologies by making it possible to remotely take certification exams via an alliance with PSI Corp.
Rather than requiring solution providers to take staff out of the field to become certified on open source technologies, The Linux Foundation will make it possible to take certification exams online, and increase the number of certified, says Clyde Seepersad, general manager for training and certification at The Linux Foundation.
Online proctoring of exams by PSI currently underpins six Linux Foundation certification exams globally, accounting for over 5,000 exams per year. That capability means The Linux Foundation now runs a 24/7 exam delivery service, says Seepersad.
“We’re trying to increase the size of the talent pool,” says Seepersad.
Partnering with PSI presents an opportunity to achieve that goal without compromising the quality of the IT talent being made available, adds Seepersad.
Those exams will soon be expanded to include markets where English is not the native language, says Seepersad.
Self-paced online training has, of course, been around for years now. The opportunity that presents itself now is to extend the exam process into the online realm as well.
The core issue that The Linux Foundation is trying to address is a general shortage of IT professionals that have expertise in open source technologies at a time when many IT organizations have instituted “open source first” policies when it comes to deploying any new solution, says Seepersad.
The Linux Foundation charges individuals to take those exams, but Seepersad notes that as a non-profit organization The Linux Foundation is only trying to recoup the cost of providing the training and exams. In addition, The Linux Foundation makes available a database of IT professionals that solution providers can query to find specific types of talent.
IT professionals today are typically required to be re-certified every few years. But the IT industry is moving to a more continuous approach to training as the rate of innovation accelerates. Open source projects such as Kubernetes that have thousands of contributors are delivering major updates every quarter, notes Seepersad.
Seepersad says The Linux Foundation is not trying to replace the training provided by IT vendors. But as more solutions incorporate a wide variety of open source technologies it’s becoming clear there is a more effective way to train IT personnel at scale.
It may take a while for the efforts of The Linux Foundation to have an impact on the chronic shortage of IT personnel that currently exists. But at the very least, solution providers can be heartened by the fact that the total cost of attaining some certifications is starting to drop.
Be First to Comment