Obsidian Systems has announced the expansion of its training offering to include KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape with effect from 1 April, in response to massive demand in both of these areas for the various Red Hat focused qualifications offered by the company.
"This is exciting news for Obsidian and the corporate market, since it not only strengthens the name Obsidian has built for itself in the training market, but will ensure that an even greater volume of Linux skills are made available to the South African market over the coming year," says Muggie van Staden, managing director of Obsidian Systems.
This expansion comes as a result of an arrangement with IT Intellect, which will provide the training facilities, while Obsidian will provide the skilled trainers required to deliver the curriculum and examinations.
"For some time now, we`ve wanted to provide training services to the greater part of SA; we see this arrangement as the first step towards achieving that goal," Van Staden says. "Our ultimate goal is to increase our reach as the demand for Linux skills grows with the demand for enterprise Linux and open source solutions."
In terms of frequency, Van Staden says training will be conducted in each of these centres, alternating between Durban and Cape Town each month. "We will most likely start with our first course in Durban, since this is where the major demand stems from," he says.
By taking this alternate monthly approach, it`s possible for a student to complete the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) qualification within six months. While in theory, through Obsidian`s Johannesburg training facility the same track can be completed in the space of one month. Van Staden says Obsidian advises against the one-month route since it is a rigorous curriculum and students need time to practise the skills gained and for the knowledge to sink in, before attempting the examinations.
From an examination perspective, Van Staden says Obsidian plans to conduct exams in accordance with demand. "Examinations will be conducted at IT Intellect`s premises as and when students are ready to attempt them," he says.
Looking at the market in general, Van Staden says the increasing demand for Linux skills in the past few months has been overwhelming. "We are training and certifying at least three times the volume of students compared to last year. Since a small percentage of these students hail from KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town, we believe offering training services in these centres will alleviate some of the load on our Johannesburg facility, albeit not substantially, and allow people from those areas closer access to facilities.
"This increasing demand is also testimony to the fact that the Red Hat certifications are regarded as the top Linux certifications in the world," he says. "And with this burgeoning demand for Linux skills in SA, there is no reason the same demand shouldn`t exist elsewhere on the continent. In the months to come, we will be investigating offering training services throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and may well see expansion into those areas sooner than the market anticipates.
"At the moment we have an on-site training offering, which entails us using a corporate`s premises and sending a trainer to that country for the duration of the course. This solution only makes sense if the corporate has more than six candidates in need of training, so possibly through an arrangement like the one we`ve struck with IT Intellect or through massive demand, opening up offices in Africa would be the ideal scenario. Time will tell," he concludes.
Share
Editorial contacts