Upskilling: The Best Way to Keep Network Operations Current, Reliable, and Secure

Network managers are facing a skills crisis. While automation is simplifying many existing network tasks, there are also a growing number of emerging technologies that require human knowledge and expertise for reliable deployment and management. In a historically tight labor market, a growing number of network managers are finding a solution by upskilling current team members.

There are two primary goals behind any training program, said Clyde Seepersad, senior vice president and general manager of training and certification at The Linux Foundation, a non-profit technology and training consortium. "The first is to ensure your employees possess the hard skills necessary to be successful in achieving organizational goals for network operations." The second goal, he noted, is improving team morale and loyalty by giving them the tools needed to continue advancing their careers.

Upskilling should always be an enterprise-level effort. "Every organization is feeling the pain of the current labor market, and you're not going to be able to hire enough talent unless you have an unlimited budget," warned Dan Kirsch, managing director and co-founder of its advisory and consulting service Techstrong Research. Upskilling makes both financial and practical sense.

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