If there’s one thing the past year has taught professionals across the globe, it’s that it is time to rethink how they work. Virtual has become a standard method of working and learning, and its flexibility has made it the new norm. Red Hat Training and Certification has sought to adapt to how global events have changed the requirements of our audience. This post will highlight some enhancements we’ve made to help you and your organization remain competitive in today’s economy.

As software becomes more and more complex, IT teams have to keep up with the increasing demands of their organization. Maintaining high technical proficiency can help ensure success, both individually and organizationally. Therefore, high-quality technical training is imperative for developing the skills necessary to keep up with industry trends and practices. 

Whether teams or individuals are expanding on a current skill set or looking to develop an entirely new one, Red Hat Training and Certification can help you on any technical professional development journey. 

Find the modality that’s right for you

With the wide range of offerings available, practitioners need to understand how they or their team learn best. Red Hat Training has a variety of modalities to suit varying needs and transform skills, even in times where traditional in person training may not be feasible.

Red Hat’s live, instructor-led virtual training features the same hands-on labs, experienced instructors, and the ability to interact with the class offered during in-person training. Red Hat certified instructors have an average of 20 years in IT and 11 years of experience using Red Hat products. The Red Hat curriculum team develops the content and is responsible for delivering the traditional classroom training, providing increased flexibility while maintaining the same level of quality that Red Hat Training has become renowned for. 

Red Hat online learning is another option for students. Online learning is a self-paced, browser-based training experience that offers access to course content, labs, and expert webinars—all optimized for self-study. This flexible offering allows busy working professionals to advance their skills and prepare for a hands-on certification exam.

Red Hat Learning Subscription allows learners to complete training virtually from from their own device and instantly access the complete catalog of self-paced courses, videos, and labs for those interested in ongoing training and development. In addition, this content is frequently updated to keep pace with evolving Red Hat technologies as well as industry trends. In fact, 41% of courses available in the Red Hat Learning Subscription catalog have been added or updated within the past year. 

Students can bookmark content, browse courses and video transcripts, and stop or start any course when it’s convenient for them. In addition, live expert chat is available to help students as they run into questions. Some Red Hat Learning Subscription tiers also include the cost of sitting for a Red Hat certification exam, simplifying the journey from obtaining knowledge to proving it. 

Validate your skills online

Red Hat Certification has also adapted to a new virtual world by expanding the available ways to test with two additions: remote exams and preliminary exams. 

Both exams—accessible online—require sign-ups, work-area preparation, and active monitoring via proctors; the critical difference is the outcome. 

Preliminary exams, shortened versions of the certification exams (generally a maximum of one hour in length), cover important knowledge for the given technology but will not validate an entire set of skills nor provide a certification. Instead, consider this a practice round that allows examinees to evaluate skills gaps or areas for improvement before their certification exam.

Remote exams are the online version of in-person classroom and testing center exams, generally lasting between 3 to 4 hours. Passing remote exams confirm the same certifications as the in-person exams, including the potential of earning Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA), our highest level of certification.

Achieve real business value with Red Hat Training and Certification

A recent IDC study shows that Red Hat-trained IT staff see greater productivity and risk mitigation and reductions in IT infrastructure costs. For professionals who are in the market for a new role, it’s essential to consider that organizations report a job readiness increase of 76% for new hires who completed Red Hat training before joining. For managers evaluating training options for their team, IDC found that Red Hat Training and Certification provided organizations an average three-year return on investment of 365%¹ and 409%², respectively. 

The many pathways to education and certification can be overwhelming, but the Red Hat Training and Certification team is here to help. Explore virtual training and certification options by using our new self-assessment tool, which may help find the ideal training path for any learning style.

1 IDC Business Value White Paper, sponsored by Red Hat, The Business Value of Red Hat Training, Doc. #US46999720, April 2021.
2 IDC Business Value White Paper, sponsored by Red Hat, The Business Value of Red Hat Certification, Doc. #US47574721, April 2021

About the author

Jacqueline Sell serves as the liaison with key partners and stakeholders to lead Red Hat's global delivery strategy, metrics, processes, and initiatives for instructor-led training.

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