The great resignation.
Talent shortages.
Skill gaps.
Daily headlines cover the trends and forces reshaping the global workforce. Finding and retaining talent - especially technical, engineering, developer, and IT employees - have become increasingly challenging, and these challenges don’t appear to be going away any time soon.
Growth markets require new skills and training
Enterprise digital transformation supporting work from anywhere, on-demand applications, and more has jump started the need for service and cloud providers to transform their networks in support of these new business models. This transformation has elevated the need for edge computing, SD-WAN, SASE, and related technologies to support secure, always-on, low-latency and high-bandwidth requirements. Delivering on network transformation initiatives requires new skills and knowledge.
Closing the skills gap is a complex issue to solve, and its impact on organizations is substantial and growing. The pace of digital transformation outpaces skills development, and qualified candidates are difficult to find. Companies should leverage technical training and professional certifications as a tool to help close the skills gap and retain existing employees and attract new employees to fill open positions in a tight labor market.
Training and certification provide many benefits to both employees and employers.
Top 5 benefits of technical training - for employees
- Increased job satisfaction and loyalty - Employees who gain new knowledge, skill sets, and certifications feel better prepared to tackle new challenges, be more engaged with their jobs and believe their quality of work is improved.
- Increased earning potential - Many companies offer a bonus or salary increase for certifications. In addition, salaries of employees with technical certifications are 8 percent higher than those without.
- Boosted efficiency and productivity - Certified employees are better prepared for day-to-day challenges and to operate new systems/technologies more effectively and efficiently.
- Competitive advantage - Technical training and certification lead to Increased employee confidence and proficiency, often resulting in a dedication to improvement and innovation.
- Marketability - The technical landscape is changing at such a rapid pace, and employees want to remain relevant and marketable. Certification verifies the knowledge and skills that set certified professionals on a path for increased responsibility and promotions. Certified employees also deliver $10,000 or more in annual value to an organization, making them attractive candidates to fill job vacancies.
Top 5 benefits of technical training - for employers
- Increased employee retention - Employees who receive training, learn new skill sets, and become certified feel more valuable and effective at their jobs.
- Boosted productivity - Trained and certified employees are better prepared to operate new systems and technologies more effectively and efficiently.
- Professional credibility - Employers who show a commitment to professional certification and training have increased credibility with partners and customers.
- Competitive advantage - Increased employee proficiency and expanded technical skillsets lead to faster, more efficient development time, which can ultimately lead to increased customer satisfaction.
- New business opportunities - Training and certification can have a positive impact on client relations, new business opportunities, and the bottom line.
SD-WAN technical training and certification
Frost & Sullivan estimates the global SD-WAN service market will grow from $2.85B in 2020 to $14.5B in 2025 (CAGR of 38%). Simplified operations and management, along with the ability to build cost-effective scalable networks with flexible connectivity, make virtualized SD-WAN networks and managed services attractive.
As SD-WAN becomes more critical to an organization's WAN strategy, skilled professionals well-versed in the emerging common language for SD-WAN will be a critical component. The companies and professionals responsible for implementing SD-WAN services and technologies should consider professional training and certification options to bolster technical skills and proficiency. Implementing and integrating SD-WAN can be complex; training and certification provides proof points for the engineers, architects, and product managers charged with developing and deploying SD-WAN solutions to demonstrate their expertise.
Why wait? Make 2022 the year of technical training and certification
The advantages of certification for both employees and employers are clear. Certified technology professionals have greater earning potential and increased job satisfaction, and employers see a positive impact on the bottom line with more efficient and productive employees. Professional certifications allow employers to invest in developing needed skill sets in existing employees, helping to close skills gaps and increase employee loyalty.
Technical training and professional certifications don’t have to place a hefty burden on employees and employers. Many options exist to jump start technical knowledge and proficiency. Some examples include:
- Self-study portals
- Structured and customized e-learning approaches
- Classroom training - onsite and online options are available through accredited training partners
Consider enhancing your technical training and certification programs. As technologies rapidly evolve and become more complex, ensuring an organization’s workforce has the most up-to-date knowledge and training is a critical success factor. Professional certifications help organization’s close the skills gap, attract and retain employees, and stay competitive.
