IT solutions have transformed over the last several years, incorporating cloud capabilities and, more recently, AI tools, helping improve organizational productivity. To keep pace with this persistent change in the tech industry, the IT training space has also shifted dramatically. Until just two or three years ago, IT training was still very tools-based, as it had been for decades: a worker was expected to get certified in a specific technical tool, like SQL Server, and master that tool from start to finish.
"Now, a worker isn’t just supporting a specific tool; they’re supporting a service," explains Rodney Francis, Senior Manager of Sales Operations for Pearson VUE. "And in supporting that, they need to understand the administration and engineering roles and acquire development skills in order to troubleshoot and roll out solutions. The demands have grown and require the IT worker to have a completely different set of skills than what they used to need."
Rodney has spent the last 10+ years helping HR departments in organizations of all sizes source, acquire, and deliver technical training. In his experience, there are three training solutions that consistently succeed in helping IT and DevOps teams upskill and earn needed certifications:
Self-paced e-Learning
Pearson CertPREP courseware combines the convenience of an all-in-one IT training solution with the flexibility to adapt to your needs, making it a great solution for most IT and DevOps teams. CertPREP courseware currently features more than 40 titles across a range of topics and technologies, including both vendor-specific and vendor-neutral certifications. All CertPREP courseware titles include course content, video content, practice labs, and practice exams to prepare learners for their certification exams.
Some key areas of certification to consider for your teams include:
Cloud computing
Your IT team likely relies on either Amazon’s AWS or Microsoft Azure (or both) for cloud computing services. For those relying on AWS cloud technology, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate courses are excellent choices that bring together these fundamental skills with vendor-specific training and certification. Similarly, self-paced Microsoft Azure courses are good options for those using Azure.
Cybersecurity
There are CertPREP cybersecurity courses for every member of your IT team, from service desk and help desk specialists to those whose primary role is IT security. For team members who have some IT experience but need a thorough understanding of IT security fundamentals, CompTIA’s Security+ is the perfect choice. CompTIA also has more advanced security certifications, such as CASP+ (CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner) and CySA+ (CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst). Looking to think like a hacker in order to spot vulnerable areas of your network before intruders do? Check out EC-Council’s CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) course.
For a more vendor-specific approach, the Microsoft Security, Compliance, & Identity (SCI) Fundamentals certification may be the answer.
Finally, your experienced IT managers and administrators may be interested in ISC2’s highly regarded CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security) certification.
Networking
CompTIA’s Network+ is an excellent place to start for those looking to understand networking fundamentals. For those more advanced (and with a focus on Cisco technology), both the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) and CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) are available in the CertPREP catalog of courses.
Private team training
This model offers a private, dedicated class customized to meet the unique needs of your organization. Private team training can be delivered either on-site or virtually. Training your entire team at the same time unifies the learning experience and increases collaboration and accountability. Another advantage is that you can schedule your private training when it best suits the needs of your business. Training on your schedule ensures you maintain productivity while also realizing a faster ROI on your training investment. At the end of the training, team members have everything they need to prepare for, take, and succeed on their certification exam. It’s perfect for corporations that want to ensure consistency across their teams while boosting productivity.
Training labs
CertPREP training labs offer the hands-on practice IT professionals want and need without the risk of disrupting your network or services. The labs are 30 to 60-minute scenario-based exercises tailored and mapped to some of the most popular vendor-specific IT certifications (including AWS, VMware, and Microsoft). Labs are available at several levels (to best fit each learner’s experience and needs) with automated assessments and feedback. Because labs are cloud-hosted, learners can access them from anywhere, giving them maximum flexibility to work at their own pace and schedule.
Getting the best resources for your teams
Looking for IT training and learning solutions to upskill your existing team or attract new pros?
Explore our catalog of IT certification prep materials, including courseware, practice tests, certification exam vouchers and more.
