Recruit and Retain IT Talent with Training and Certifications

The competition for talent in IT is fierce, and companies are doing more than ever to find and retain IT professionals. More than just money and standard benefits like 401(k)s and medical insurance, employees are looking to work for companies that help them develop their skills.

A Gallup survey for Amazon found that when workers evaluate job opportunities, 66% of those ages 18 to 24 rank learning new skills as the third most important perk, ranking behind health insurance and disability benefits. Providing training and certification benefits can be a competitive advantage in the race for IT talent.

IT pros are naturally curious and are looking for a workplace where they are challenged to learn the latest technologies and increase their IT skills. Sixty-two percent of tech employees in a 2022 TalentLMS survey of 1,200 remote workers said they were motivated by the prospect of training and development.

IT Employees

With businesses flocking to new technologies, IT professionals need to understand how to operate cloud infrastructure offerings, how to develop and operate cloud native applications, and how to collaborate in new ways with other IT teams. When teams lack the proper skills, companies aren’t able to effectively use new technologies, progress is delayed, and a competitive edge is lost. In a Gartner survey of large enterprise IT professionals, 64% felt that talent availability was the most significant challenge to adopting emerging technologies.

To adopt new technologies, IT professionals need the necessary knowledge and skills to work with the latest cloud technologies. Gaining these skills often come about via training courses that employers offer. Learning and development (L&D) professionals and other leaders can help their company recruit and retain employees by providing opportunities for training. These courses give employees an opportunity to grow within their organization and help companies promote from within rather than spending hours looking for qualified job candidates.

Talent Shortages

As companies transition to cloud computing and adopt emerging technologies, talent shortages in crucial areas are emerging. L&D leaders that offer training in these critical disciplines position the IT workforce to support business objectives.

Below are the main areas where talent is most needed:

• Cloud
• Analytics
• Containers and Cloud Native
• Agile and DevOps
• Programming
• AI & Machine Learning

ExitCertified offers a CloudCentrix suite of courses that covers all of the above topics as well as courses on the architectural techniques and practices needed to help organizations get the most out of their cloud investment.

While dozens of certifications are available for cloud technologies, a few are among the most valued due to marketplace demand. See our list of Top Cloud Certifications for Cloud Professionals.

Manage IT Hiring Challenges with Training

Before your organization begins investing in training, it's critical to conduct an analysis of the workforce's existing skills and the technology strategy to identify skills gaps. A subject matter expert should then use that analysis to create a roadmap, or learning path, for training your organization across job roles. A good IT training partner can do all this for you as well as customize the course content to make the most of students’ time in the classroom and reduce costs. Courses can be delivered in a variety of formats, including instructor-led, on demand, live-remote or live in-person, or via a blended approach.

In business for more than 20 years, ExitCertified provides vendor-authorized and open source IT training to suit all levels of experience. Additionally, the company can create customized courses and programs specifically for your company so students spend their time learning only the skills you deem necessary.