In today’s dynamic cloud native landscape, staying competitive isn’t just about adopting the latest technologies – it’s about building a workforce with the skills to implement, evolve, and lead. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) recognized this imperative and responded with a strategic internal initiative aimed at scaling cloud native expertise across its Professional Services – Global Competency Center in Bangalore, India, one of its most vital global development hubs.
At HPE, we believe learning fuels innovation. By empowering our teams with the right tools and certifications, we drive real-world impact for our clients. This initiative is more than training – it’s how we lead the future of cloud native, together.
– Anand Chettri, Director, Professional Services – Global Competency Center, HPE
Partnering with Linux Foundation Education, the HPE Global Competency Center launched a structured program to provide education, remove training barriers, and reward its consultants for achieving open source certifications.
The goal: transform technical consultants into high-impact practitioners and trusted client advisors.
The Challenge: Scaling Talent in a Rapidly Evolving Market
HPE’s Professional Services teams across the globe were already leveraging open source tools in high-stakes, real-world scenarios. But as demand for scalable, cloud native architectures surged, the Global Competency Center identified an opportunity to:
- Formalize and scale cloud native training across its consulting teams
- Foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation
- Validate internal expertise with industry-recognized certifications
- Deliver greater client value by embedding deeper technical capabilities
“Certifications boost both client trust and engineer confidence,” said Monica Ramesh, Technical Capability Manager, HPE. “They ensure our teams understand the full scope of cloud native tools and can deploy them with confidence. Having these skills showcases that our consultants are future-ready.”
The Solution: Breaking Barriers, Unlocking Potential
In 2020 HPE piloted a program with Linux Foundation Education. The following year HPE rolled out an enterprise-wide subscription, giving consultants unlimited access to open source focused courses and a set number of certifications. This initiative eliminated financial and logistical barriers, empowering engineers to learn at their own pace and gave the Professional Services – Global Competency Center the resources they needed to aggressively encourage consultants to pursue continuous learning and certifications.
While not mandatory, HPE encourages team members to aim for approximately five role related certifications annually, with some individuals targeting more based on interest and capacity.
“HPE is very focused on client satisfaction, so it is critical for us to be upskilled and certified,” said Monica. “Much of our work involves emerging technologies. Learning about, and getting certified in, these technologies is a huge motivation to team members.” In addition to client confidence, certifications are also taken into consideration as part of HPE’s regular employee reviews.
To help engineers better leverage all that the enterprise subscription offers, the Global Competency Center conducts sessions on how to access Linux Foundation Education offerings. This helps deliver a higher ROI for HPE’s learning investment.
Open Source in Practice
Alongside formal e-Learning and microlearning through HPE’s enterprise subscription, team members are encouraged to pursue informal learning by engaging directly with the open source community.
“We make it a point to talk about emerging technologies, especially those that are CNCF-related projects, whether it’s a graduated program or a sandbox program,” said Amit Chettri, Solution Architect, HPE. The Global Competency Center also supports active participation in CNCF meetups and open source contributions.
Initially the Global Competency Center focused on three, performance-based Kubernetes certifications developed in partnership with the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), part of the Linux Foundation. The certifications reflect hands-on proficiency:
- Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
- Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
- Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)
Consultants rapidly began completing certifications, earning digital badges, and applying new knowledge directly in client engagements. “Certifications like CKAD and CKA have helped me understand Kubernetes at a deeper level,” says Anmol Mishra, Cloud Developer, HPE. “I now design more scalable and robust solutions.”
The Kubestronaut Accelerant
In 2024, the Linux Foundation and CNCF launched the Kubestronaut program for individuals holding all five Kubernetes certifications, including Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) and Kubernetes and Cloud Native Security Associate (KCSA). Several engineers who already had their CKA, CKAD, and CKS certifications quickly earned the remaining two to reach Kubestronaut status. Word spread fast, fueling team pride and camaraderie.
Building Community and Momentum
One of the first team members to achieve Kubestronaut status was Alexandr Grigorenko, Technical Cloud Consultant, who was featured in a Linux Foundation Education profile. He currently holds nine Linux Foundation certifications. “After the profile went out, people started asking me about being a Kubestronaut. It really helped raise awareness,” said Alexandr.
A few months later, Anmol Mishra earned his Kubestronaut status and was also featured in a profile. “Coming from a developer background, the certifications boosted my confidence in Kubernetes and greatly complemented my data engineering work,” Anmol said. “Becoming a Kubestronaut has exposed me to various cloud platforms, enabling me to design more scalable and efficient solutions and contribute more effectively to my team’s success.”
In April 2025, as the number of Kubestronauts grew, leaders of HPE’s Global Competency Center brought together more than 250 team members to honor eight new Kubestronauts during a formal Kubestronaut Jacket presentation. “When someone from your own team is recognized, it reinforces the value of certifications and builds motivation among engineers that might otherwise hesitate to make the commitment,” said Unmesh Kadam, Cloud Consultant, HPE.
Fazlur Rahman Kahn, Technical Trainer, Linux Foundation Education, presents Kubestronaut Jackets to HPE Global Competency Center Team Members.
The strong show of support from leadership at the ceremony further fueled interest in certifications and continuous learning. Speakers included Radhakrishnan PN, Vice President – WW Professional Services Leader, Hybrid Cloud, Data & AI & Edge Delivery; Anand Chettri, Director, Professional Services – Global Competency Center; Anil NNV, Service Delivery Manager; and Amit Chettri, Solution Architect.
Tangible Business Impact
The benefits of the program quickly became apparent in client engagements. “As engineers earn more certifications, their delivery quality improves,” said Amit. “Clients feel the difference. They ask, ‘How do you know this?’ and that opens the door to explain the certification journey.”
Certifications have become a strategic asset within the organization. “All our clients want a Kubestronaut on their project,” Monica said.
This impact was evident in a recent engagement with an automotive client in Germany. The project required advanced expertise in Argo CD. Because HPE had detailed data on certified engineers, they were able to assign a Certified Argo Project Associate (CAPA) resulting in accelerated delivery and higher client satisfaction.
In the last year, 28 individuals have achieved their Kubestronaut status. In addition, since the inception of the program there have been:
- More than 11,500 course enrollments
- More than 350 CKA certifications awarded
- More than 200 CKAD certifications awarded
- More than 75 CKS certifications awarded
- More than 350 other Linux Foundation Education certifications awarded
Looking Ahead
Building on the program’s momentum, HPE is expanding the number of certifications available to each team member annually and creating a process for requesting additional exams. This supports those aiming for CNCF’s Golden Kubestronaut status – awarded to professionals who earn all CNCF cloud native certifications plus the Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS).
With a strong track record, the Professional Services – Global Competency Center is working to share its success across HPE. This commitment to continuous learning is driving a broader cultural shift within HPE’s Bangalore-based Global Competency Center – where certification isn’t just a milestone, but part of an ongoing journey toward technical excellence and customer impact. “Certification should not be a side activity. It should be part of the growth journey,” said Abhishek, Solution Architect, HPE, Kubestronaut.
As more consultants join the program, they’re supported not just by resources – but by a team culture that values and celebrates their growth. “Certification isn’t a checkbox,” said Abhishek. “It’s part of your evolution as an engineer.”
By investing in education, recognizing achievement, and tying skills to strategy, HPE is building a workforce that’s not only ready for today’s cloud native challenges – but equipped to shape what comes next.
