As we approach the end of another year, many learning and development managers as well as individual employees are realizing they have not used up their available training budgets. Not only does this mean that investments in human capital are behind where they should be, but it also raises the odds that next year’s budget may be cut on the basis of having unused dollars.
The recent 2021 Open Source Jobs Report found that 92% of employees are asking for more training and two in three developers stated that they have not been given enough training to successfully do their jobs. Much of this is being driven by the ongoing changes caused by the pandemic, which has accelerated digital transformation activities, with three in five open source pros stating that their organization has increased use of cloud technologies in the past year.
Take advantage of available training budgets by investing in options like eLearning courses, which can be purchased now while course participants can take their time to complete them when they have time available. These courses also have the benefit of being able to be accessed from anywhere, meaning that remote employees can enroll and keep their skills up to date. Other options include live, instructor-led courses, which can be scheduled either in-person or virtually. It’s worth noting that the budgets can be used this year even if the training course doesn’t happen until 2022.
Do not forget about certifications either. The Open Source Jobs Report also found that 88% of hiring managers are paying for employee certifications now, meaning companies have come to realize the value certified staff contribute to the organization. A recent IDC study found that fully certified IT project teams are 35% more likely to finish projects ahead of schedule compared with partially certified teams; in fact they average completion two full weeks ahead of schedule. Additionally, the fully certified teams meet 95% of client objectives compared to 87% for partially certified teams, and have a 36 point higher net promoter score (NPS) at 98% compared to only 63% for partially certified teams.
Linux Foundation Training offers many options that can help. From our extensive course catalog, to our industry-leading certifications like Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) and Linux Foundation Certified SysAdmin (LFCS), we can customize a program that makes sense for your team. This can include both self-paced eLearning courses and live instructor-led training conducted virtually. Many certification exams can be taken online in a performance-based environment with a live proctor monitoring, meaning staff don’t have to travel to testing centers. Subscription packages can also provide unlimited training opportunities to your team.
Learn more about how we can help enterprise learning and development departments be successful here, and submit the contact form if you’d like to chat with one of our experts to determine what programs will most benefit your organization.
