Quality training and certifications offer added value to both individuals and the data centre industry overall. Andrew Stevens, CEO at CNet Training discusses the importance of creating educational programs with a purpose to support real career paths with career progression opportunities.
Being the largest and longest-running training and education provider in the world dedicated to the data centre and network infrastructure sectors brings with it a lot of responsibility and exciting opportunities. Especially considering that the reliance on mission-critical facilities is only going to increase at an accelerating rate over the coming years, putting a lot more pressure and demand on the facilities and the teams that operate them.
A data centre is only as good as the infrastructure around it and the teams within it, so it’s absolutely vital that the infrastructure is installed correctly initially and that the employees’ knowledge, skills and competency levels are sufficient and the teams feel confident that they can keep up with the increasing needs and demands on business.
At CNet Training, we take education seriously and we remain the only sector dedicated technical education provider in the world to award both internationally recognised qualifications and professional certifications, many of which are specified within tender documentation.
The CNet team created the highly acclaimed Global Digital Infrastructure Education Framework to showcase the full suite of technical education programs we offer throughout the data centre and network infrastructure sectors. The world-renowned framework has been created to offer sector professionals, at any point in their career, a detailed selection of programs that provide knowledge, skills, certifications and qualifications to aid personal development throughout the sectors.
We wanted to design an easy to understand framework that could give sector professionals a pathway for them to further develop their knowledge and skills, move into specialist areas and gain the knowledge and confidence for future job roles and career progression. We are pleased to have educated over 65,000 individuals in 35 different countries and to 121 different nationalities.
CNet’s programs aid the opportunity for real career development and the Global Digital Infrastructure Education Framework offers a future education path of progression for industry professionals who can work through the framework from copper and fibre optic cable installation, all the way through to the world’s first Master’s Degree in Data Centre Leadership and Management, joining an elite global group of data centre professionals.
Every program has been designed to address the skills and knowledge requirements of those working in different areas of these vibrant and fast-moving sectors. While the programs flow perfectly from one to another they are of equal value as stand-alone programs, plus learners can enter the framework at any level depending on their level of experience.
It’s important that education programs are not just about ticking attendance boxes. Our programs have been carefully and meticulously designed, with the support of the industry, to create technical educational programs that match the true requirements of the industry now and considers the predicted trends and ever-evolving needs of the future.
From case studies to group learning and hands-on practical assessments, everything we create is designed to provide the highest level of skills and knowledge that can provide instant benefits in day-to-day working life.
From the Certified Data Centre Management Professional (CDCMP) program which is designed for individuals wishing to enhance their ability to effectively manage, control and improve the operational effectiveness of a data centre environment to the Certified Data Centre Energy Professional (CDCEP) which teaches learners how to create an energy efficiency plan for a data centre and teaches ways of reducing energy use and carbon emissions.
Everything we design has been carefully considered to ensure the outcomes and additional knowledge gained can be used and implemented to make a real difference within a working environment.
On completion of each program, learners gain both a qualification and an official certification. Qualifications are for life – once you have them they are yours to keep forever, certifications are a commitment to life-long learning and need to be re-certified every three years. Re-certification is a simple process that brings knowledge up to date with the latest technical advances in the industry, ensuring individuals can continue to demonstrate that their knowledge and skills reflect the very latest technical needs of the industry.
All CNet programs are designed by our technical team and have involved contribution from global industry experts and influencers. This ensures that the content is current and reflects the needs of the industry across the world.
We are pleased that the framework has genuinely helped move industry professionals up the career ladder or into more specialist areas. Each program can flow into each other and the learner continues to grow and learn vital new up-to-date knowledge and techniques.
You only have to look at industry-specific job specifications to see that CNet certifications and qualifications are desirable or even required to apply for certain network cable or data centre related jobs. It is without doubt that achieving official certifications provides additional knowledge, skills, confident and competent which helps to boost quality and, of course, works towards mitigating the risk and astronomical costs associated with human error. This supports CNet’s values.
A personal goal for me is to leave a legacy. One of the things I’m always discussing with businesses and industry professionals is the importance of self-regulating within our sectors. We are in an unregulated industry currently and as an industry, we need to be self-regulating and setting our own standards, otherwise we will eventually become regulated and it may not be the way we would like.
CNet tries to lead the way and set the standards, showing people ways they can develop their entire teams and fall in-line with industry expectations. My goal is to inject time, funds and expertise into programs and certifications that genuinely shape, and future proof, the digital infrastructure industry.
