As enterprises shift to digital transformation, IT modernization continues to be a top priority. Through IT modernization, organizations can improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction. This allows businesses to remain competitive and innovate quickly. In accordance with this shift, many of these organizations are accelerating their move to the cloud to stay competitive.
Today’s technology skills gap creates a void that leaders must fill. With the unprecedented pace of innovation, as well as the vast complexities wrought by such change, worker knowledge is becoming increasingly critical. According to a recent McKinsey report, 90% of IT executives and managers already experience a shortage of qualified professionals for the current technological environment. Developing robust training programs that support ongoing, agile learning within an organization is the key to future-proofing talent to keep pace with technology developments.
What is the extent of the Cloud Skills gap?
Cloud-end user spending is projected to reach $600 billion by 2023, up from $410.9 billion in 2021, according to Gartner. As cloud computing becomes more popular for companies and top tech talent is in short supply, companies are struggling to find skilled workers. This unusual combination of events is keeping some companies from skilling up to the level they need to stay at the forefront of technology. With 81% of enterprises predicting that they will be multi-cloud by 2024, companies migrating to the cloud face massive skill gaps, high adoption and migration costs, and steep learning curves that require operational attention and education when migrating to the cloud.
Skills gaps and undertrained staff can result in downtime, delayed deployments, and missed revenue opportunities for companies. According to a recent State of Cloud Strategy Survey by HashiCorp, 82% of enterprises agreed that having the proper staffing and skill levels is important to determining the success of their organization’s cloud strategies. Another report by Accenture mirrors this thought as it found skills shortage is the top barrier to achieving cloud value—ranked #1 by 54% of CEOs surveyed. Considering those statistics, it is evident that training in cloud technologies is vital to scaling an organization and staying current with emerging IT trends.
Headwinds facing companies today
Increasing Complexities
Taking a closer look at cloud and multi-cloud challenges, cloud complexity is due to recent accelerations in cloud migration, new developments, and a general lack of anticipatory foresight regarding operational challenges. There is no better time than now to ramp up learning initiatives to leverage and effectively manage cloud technology, as 41.4% of global business and technology leaders intend to increase the use of cloud technology to create resilience and stability in the environment of current macroeconomic headwinds.
Cloud shifts
Cloud shifts pose several challenges, including inconsistent infrastructure across environments, siloed operations teams that struggle to adapt or implement changing strategies, evolving application landscapes with variable architectures, inefficient management tools, and additional security layers. All these elements create more attack surfaces and risks. Therefore, it is essential to invest in proper cloud training to mitigate these risks, develop cost-effective growth strategies, and manage ongoing challenges.
Varying degrees of cloud skill sets
As a result of the above cloud shifts and complexities, varying degrees of cloud skill sets become a consideration for IT professionals. When there are so many training options available for cloud technologies, how do you ensure that your team is professionally trained? The importance of upskilling here cannot be overstated and getting the attention of organizations. A recent study by Pluralsight found that over 60% of tech executives are looking for cost efficiencies, yet 72% still plan to invest more in tech skill development in 2023.
How to address the Cloud Skills Gap shortage
Modern IT infrastructure relies heavily on the cloud. Cloud training and certification programs enable organizations to equip and retain their workforce with cloud expertise to cope with shifting operational dynamics. As skills gaps emerge, training and certification programs provide opportunities to close them, including cross-functional skilling, upskilling, and reskilling. This enables organizations to remain competitive and agile in the face of ever-evolving market demands.
The benefits of cloud training and certification include company-wide cost savings, increased scalability, and improved security. Investment in cloud learning and training can lead to increased workforce satisfaction and retention –- with 94% of employees reporting that they would stay with a company longer if the company invested in their career development. The development of learning certification pathways, whether in the cloud or otherwise, can serve as a mutual benefit for both employees and employers.
How VMware Learning is addressing the cloud skills gap
VMware Learning is at the forefront of cloud training and certification. A recent survey conducted by Robert Half of more than 3,000 senior managers ranked the VMware Certified Professional – Cloud Management and Automation (VCP- CMA) in the top 30 certifications companies look for when hiring new talent.
To address the skills gap above, we are developing new and expanded cloud-focused training and certifications. If you are already cloud or currently certified in Data Center Virtualization, these upcoming certifications will expand your knowledge to start managing complex multi-cloud structures. The upcoming certifications will cover all skill levels, from entry-level to expert, needed to design, deploy, and operate VMware’s cloud infrastructure solutions. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months on this blog!
“Our upcoming extended VMware certifications will empower IT professionals with additional skills to scale and secure multi-cloud by demystifying cloud complexity.”
Learning Paths and Certification Tracks
VMware Learning provides you with multiple ways to advance your career. We have VMware Learning Paths and Certification Tracks for everyone, whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience. Our Learning Paths provide a structured way to learn and build on your knowledge at a course level, while our Certification Tracks provide you the ultimate roadmap of the credentials needed to prove your proficiency in certain technologies.
Our Certification website is a great place to start if you’re looking for information about certifications. Learn all about certifications and what it takes to get them here. If you’re ready to get certified or just looking for information, you’ll find information about certifications, prerequisites, exam details, and costs on our website.
