Johannesburg, 29 Sep 2017
With a growing demand for Linux and open source skills, the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) has reduced the cost of its certifications for residents of southern Africa.
The LPI recently reviewed its certification pricing, says LPI Southern Africa Director, Aslam Raffee, and during consultation with LPI Southern Africa, decided to reduce the cost of its Linux and open source certifications. This means that South African candidates wanting to gain an LPI certification will now only pay between $95 and $155, depending on their chosen certification.
The price reductions take effect on October 16 this year and affect both the Linux Essentials certification and the LPIC, as well as the newly developed DevOps certification. The LPI's DevOps certification is in the process of being finalised following successful beta exams earlier this month.
The reduced prices are good news for the South African open source community, says Raffee. "There is a growing demand from employers looking to hire IT staff that are certified and have high-quality skills. Employers are actively looking for open source professionals. Open source professionals are in high demand as Linux and open source solutions are the building blocks of cloud, big data, AI and machine learning platforms.
"It's also good for people looking to build a career in IT. New entrants to the IT community want to invest in a solid certification. The LPI is the oldest, vendor-neutral certification body and provides important certifications for the industry.
"Skills are also an essential part of growing the economy and having the right skills is critical, especially in the digital space," says Raffee.
A recent study found 44% of employers were offering higher salaries for certified open source professionals, compared to salaries for specialists in other operating systems. And 87% of employers said they found it hard to attract open source talent. This makes an LPI certification one of the most valuable salary boosters around.
Linux and open source also continues to expand into all areas of technology, with everyone from large corporations such as Amazon, Facebook and Google to smaller technology departments now running Linux.
"The rapid growth in Linux and open source means that there is an ever-growing number of opportunities for LPI-certified professionals, including with some of the world's most innovative companies," says Raffee.
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