Pearson VUE just released its new 2021 Value of Certification report, which surveyed 29,000 respondents who earned credentials and took exams over the last year. The data not only shows how certification across IT continues to have an impact but also how IT credentials provide value to the individuals earning them.
We’ve highlighted some of the data points here. Hopefully, these encouraging statistics will inspire certification candidates to keep working towards their credentials and gaining value from their own certification journeys.
- There was a 16% increase in testing across candidates surveyed, compared to last year. The report also points out an increase in those who paid for the tests themselves, rather than their organizations paying for them. This was attributed to the economic impact of the pandemic. It may not be as encouraging for individuals, but it represents the worth of getting certified. Even when an organization will not pay the way, a certification is still worth pursuing.
- 86% plan to pursue additional certifications. One certification creates a positive impact. Multiple certifications increase the value you bring to your organization and the industry.
- 73% of candidates pursued certification with the goal of upskilling. Although raises, gaining employment and promotions were high on the list, the efforts made by candidates through learning, gaining experience, obtaining new skills, and being able to show proof of expertise created value that is hard to get from any other way. Intrinsic benefits include:
- Increased confidence
- Greater determination to succeed
- Increased respect
- Greater job satisfaction
- Greater work autonomy
- Between 74% and 91% of respondents reported they gained these intrinsic benefits and gained them quickly. Certification enables people. It creates a drive and confidence to create unique value in the industry.
- Raises and promotions are still important, and certification helped earn those extrinsic benefits. Fortunately, those benefits come quickly after getting certified. Of those who earned a pay increase, 55% were rewarded within three months. That number jumped to 77% within six months.
- IT certifications are also great for business. Estimated ROI by companies employing certified professionals added $10,000 value per person.
- VMware certifications cover a broad range of solution areas and job roles. Some of the high-growing certifications in the industry included Cloud certifications, DevOps and enterprise architecture. Check out our Certification homepage for our Cloud Management, DevOps, and VCAP and VCDX architect certifications, among others.
- Each of the certifications on the Certification homepage show a variety of preparation methods. The most effective study method was using commercial training centers. Take advantage of VMware training associated with each certification, as well as other methods such as practice exams, hands-on labs and VMware Press books where available.
Certification continues to create value in the IT industry, and VMware will continue to provide the most in-demand credentials aligned to key job roles.
