A recent article in Cybersecurity Ventures suggests that every IT position today is also a cyber security position. This could not be truer in a digital world where data breaches are all too common and the skills gap among IT workers widens. According to some analysts, as many as 1.8 million cyber and tech jobs could be left unfilled by 2022 because of a lack of qualified workers.
What is the answer?
Training and certification.
It is estimated that 41% of IT professionals hold an average of three (3) industry certifications and even more are seeking to add more skills to their resume each day. Juggling daily duties with learning time is a constant challenge. Finding the right learning modality is critical to success.
Instructor led training (ILT) is accepted as the most comprehensive method offered to obtain and sharpen cyber skills. Complex issues are shaped in the classroom in hands on environments where a student is fully engaged in the learning process. An alternative to ILT is the virtual delivery where the instructor is live but reaching students via tele-presence technologies. Both ILT and vILT immerse the learner in the subject matter for the fullest learning experience.
e-learning or On-Demand Classrooms (ODC) are viewed as cost effective and more convenient when it comes to bolstering specific IT skills. ODC is viewed as an alternative for shrinking budgets but is also known to fall short of providing the full training experience becuase the student misses the interaction with a live instructor. Dedication of the students to absorb and apply skills offered determines overall ODC success. Still, ODC can help fill skills gaps in the IT world and should be considered critical to bolstering skills.
RSA University offers all three learning modalities with over 200 course offerings currently in Associate and Professional certification tracks. Each RSA product features a recommended learning path, exam guide and Practice Test to help prepare students for certification. After completing the courses in a learning path and acquiring professional experience with the product of choice, students can schedule time to take an exam at a local testing center through Pearson VUE, our vendor for proctored exam administration.
Don’t get caught in the skills gap. Visit https://community.rsa.com/community/training/certification to learn more about your pathway to RSA certification.
