The Certified IT Associate exam is now open for registration and there’s free swag included in every purchase.
Today’s the day to get your holiday shopping started (or finished) but be sure to save some of your budget to invest in yourself and your career. The Linux Foundation is offering 40% off today for all training and certification products. They also have a few bundles that are up to 60%-65% off. The sale lasts until Dec. 8, 2020.
The foundation also has opened registration for the new Linux Foundation Certified IT Associate (LFCA) designed for entry-level professionals. This 60-question exam covers system administration DevOps, Linux, security, and cloud computing. You register for the exam now to take advantage of the Cyber Monday deal and schedule the actual date of the exam in mid-January. Registering now means paying about $180 instead of the full price of $300 for the exam.
The certification is valid for three years and you get one free retake if the first time doesn’t go well.
The LFCA exam was built using Certiverse, a new online test marketplace. The platform uses artificial intelligence and allows asynchronous contributions from subject matter experts. This approach reduces the time and cost of developing a new exam, according to the foundation.
SEE: Linux commands for user management (TechRepublic Premium)
Clyde Seepersad, senior vice president and general manager of training and certification at the Linux Foundation, said in a press release that this certification is an onramp to an IT career.
“Our hope is that certificants will progress to more specific and complex technology topics, enabling them to advance their careers on a continual basis,” he said.
There’s even free swag to go along with any purchase—you can choose from a hat or a stuffed Tux.
As Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols explained on ZDNet, the Linux Foundation has launched many new Linux and open-source classes this year in addition to the (LFCA), including a Cloud Engineer Bootcamp and an Advanced Cloud Engineer Bootcamp. Also, the foundation hit a training milestone this year with the one-millionth student enrolling in the free introduction to Linux class.
Open source professionals in demand
Open source continues to expand its influence in the IT industry, as a recent survey Red Hat survey found. In the survey, 77% of IT leaders plan to use more open source software over the next 12 months. In this year’s Open Source Jobs Report, the Linux Foundation found that Linux, DevOps, cloud and security are the top skill sets wanted from potential employees. Among hiring managers, 74% say that Linux is the most in-demand skill in new hires. Demand for expertise in cloud and containers is up also. Managers also are looking for people with experience using open source development tools like Git and in running projects already in production. Ninety-three percent of hiring managers say that they’re having trouble finding employees who have work experience with open source software.
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