The Linux Foundation Offers Scholarships for Linux Learners
Lifelong learning is a hallmark of any professional IT career path. And it's always exciting when free or low-cost learning opportunities come along. Now the Linux Foundation has fired up its Linux Foundation Training (LiFT) Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to individuals planning to pursue Linux training courses and certification exams. Each scholarship covers the cost of both an online training course and a certification exam. Applications are being accepted through April 30 from individuals seeking scholarship assistance in the following categories: Open Source Newbies, Teens-in-Training (available to students between the ages of 13 and 18), Women in Open Source, Software Developer Do-Gooder, SysAdmin Super Star, Blockchain Blockbuster, Cloud Captain, Networking Notable, Web Development Wiz, Hardware Hero, Cybersecurity Champion, and Linux Kernel Guru. The application form, along with additional information about the program, is available online.
What Do Certification Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) Do?
One of the many critical acronyms in the IT certification sphere is SME, for Subject Matter Expert. A subject matter expert has deep knowledge of certain information technology (IT) topics and helps craft certification exams. If you've ever wondered about the role, or even considered stepping into it, then you will almost certainly be intrigued by a new post to the AWS Training and Certification Blog. Guest blogger Nikhil Anand, an AWS certification SME, discusses the work that SMEs do and how one becomes involved. As noted by Anand, the overall population of AWS SMEs includes "solutions architects, developers, systems operators, database administrators, and others whose work aligns with the expertise validated by the AWS Certification exams. These individuals, coming from diverse backgrounds, participate in AWS Certification exam development events, remote and in-person, that focus on the creation and review of exam content as part of the AWS Certification exam development process."
(ISC)² Highlights Growing Concern Over Cyberattacks
Given the still-present (albeit subsiding) COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, wars, climate change, and other ongoing challenges of modern life, there are a lot of stress factors that any individual in the modern workforce carries around with them. Cybersecurity professional association (ISC)² points to one such hardship that may not be generating news headlines, but is still causing concern: cyberthreats. A new post to the official (ISC)² blog highlights a report from AlertMedia that indicates a high degree of worry among U.S. workers over cybersecurity problems. The biggest area of ongoing concern uncovered by the report is public health emergencies — COVID is clearly still on a lot of people's minds — but cyberattacks are in second place, of greater concern than either severe weather emergencies or crime. One positive takeaway? There's bound to be continued hiring interest in cybersecurity professionals for decades to come.
Microsoft Answers Common Questions About Certification Renewal
Most (though not all) IT certifications are like milk that you buy at the grocery store. They aren't intended to last forever and you have to freshen them up after a while. With milk, you either consume it or throw it out and replace it with new milk. With IT certifications, or at least with the ones that are not considered good for life — which is most of them — there is a formal recertification process in place that typically requires either completion of continuing professional education (CPE) credits, or retaking the current version of the certification exam. That brings us to a recent post to the Microsoft Learn Blog, which answers common questions from Microsoft certification candidates about the certification renewal process. For example, Microsoft does not offer multiple paths to certification renewal. As noted in the post, "The only way to renew a Microsoft Certification is by passing the no-cost, online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn." Recertification is a key element of life for many (if not most) certified professionals, so if you're already on the Microsoft certification train, or if you're thinking about hopping aboard, then there's lots of good information here to help you along.
That's all for this edition of Certification Watch. Please keep your certification news and tips coming to the GoCertify News Editor.
