With the accelerated pace of technology, acquiring and maintaining critical IT team skills can require training. When looking to invest in training, it can often come down to two questions; what is the business value of training? Why should IT team training be prioritised now? 

Red Hat recently commissioned a study with  IDC to determine just that, “The Business Value of Red Hat Training.” Red Hat Trainingwas shown to improve IT operations and support business requirements and new technologies, with a 20% efficiency improvement in infrastructure management. These training courses are gaining increasing recognition by C-suite executives and IT teams alike. Organisations that use Red Hat Training experienced 71% less unplanned downtime, 36% more efficient help desk response time, and a three year ROI of 389%.

Participants in the study included managers at different large-scale organisations, spanning multiple industries and countries. The managers were asked about the results of 44 courses taken by 23 staff members on an annual basis. Training included online, virtual, and classroom learning with hands-on training and knowledge sharing.

The study explored the use cases for Red Hat Training and found that both initial IT team training and ongoing IT skills training were important. Initial team training provides the base skill sets that can impact the overall success of a project. Allotting 1.5% of the project budget for training improved project success rate from 50% to 80%.

In addition, given the rapid pace of technology and business change, skill sets degrade or are lost through attrition and personnel changes. According to the IDC study, 60% of an organisation’s capability is lost in three years, and by year six, 75% of original capability is lost. Ongoing training is essential for skill adoption and replacement.

The study uncovered additional benefits of Red Hat Training experienced by respondents:

• IT operations and infrastructure management:  20% efficiency improvement for IT administrators and 71% less time lost due to unplanned system and application outages.
• Troubleshooting and help desk efficiency: 23% fewer help desk calls, 50% faster resolution of issues, as well as fewer user interruptions and 36% less time spent by staff members on supporting Red Hat environments.
• IT support of business requirements: 12% faster development time for new features.

Overall, IDC estimates the productivity and cost reduction benefits from Red Hat Training over a three year period to be $53,422 per year per employee.

Red Hat Training courses enable individuals and organisations to develop and hone the skills needed to implement and innovate using Red Hat technologies. Red Hat

Training delivers business value that spans IT operations, IT environments, and support of business requirements and new technologies.  With IDC study results finding an ROI of nearly 4:1 over a three year period, Red Hat Training is well worth the investment.