These landmark digital credentials featuring a stackable badge credential methodology and trackable, verifiable, analyzable learning journeys are awarded by IBM, the mainframe computing authority. They are trusted benchmarks of IBM Z mainframe computing proficiency in key mainframe computing job roles and are recognized by the global mainframe computing industry.
Their Importance
This is the Future Direction of Credentialing
A landmark collaboration between IBM and Interskill, has brought the future of digital credentialing to the IBM Z mainframe computing industry. IBM’s new IBM Professional Certificates are rigorous and sophisticated, IBM digital credentials featuring a stackable badge credential methodology and trackable, verifiable, analyzable learning journeys. They are IBM’s new benchmark skills standard for IBM Z systems personnel globally!
Each IBM Professional Certificate’s trackable, verifiable, analyzable learning journey contains over 50 hours of comprehensive, online, IBM Z mainframe skills training and includes the assessment rigor of over 750 simulations, exercises, exam questions, and other assessment modalities before the IBM Professional Certificate is earned. The stackable badge credential methodology provides regularly benchmarked stages and rewards that increase engagement, commitment and learning outcomes.
Studies show that this type of rigorous, complex credential is quickly becoming a more prominent and valued skills benchmark in the IT industry than the traditional passing of a certification exam. Based on these studies, sophisticated Professional Certificates featuring a stackable badge credential methodology and trackable, verifiable, analyzable learning journeys are very much the future direction of credentialing.
Please note: The IBM Digital Badge program uses the industry leading Credly digital credentialing platform. Credly is a Pearson company so Interskill felt it especially relevant to use Pearson VUE‘s industry leading studies and reports to best demonstrate the importance of credentialing and certification. Please read on.
Their Value
Mainframe Certified – Value to the Mainframe Organization
Now more than ever, the IT community places immense value on certification and credentialing. Organizations must have workforces that can keep up with the pace of technological change but are frequently hobbled by the skill gaps that this change causes. In the modern business world, organizations know the immense value of a learning culture and lifelong learning, and understand that certification and credentialing are a critical tool to reach optimal human capital value. Certification and credentialing builds improved quality of work, productivity, efficiency, innovation and engagement!
According to the Global Knowledge, 2020 “IT Skills and Salary Report”:
- 4.3 Million jobs could be left unfilled by 2030, casualties of the tech talent shortage
- The U.S. will lose $162 billion (in unrealized output) by 2030 due to technology skills shortages
- 94% of decision makers said certified team members provide added value above & beyond the cost of certification.
- The estimated ROI per credentialed employee is $10,000 added value!
A growing deficit of technology talent is negatively impacting the global economy and creating costly skill gaps in the IT industry. To mitigate the financial losses, employers have increased employee upskilling investments. According to that same Global Knowledge “2020 IT Skills and Salary Report,” 80% of North American managers and 78% worldwide report skills gaps.
In terms of productivity, 67% of IT decision makers believe skills gaps cost their employees between three and nine hours of work per week. Twelve percent say the cost is north of 10 hours per employee per week. If an IT professional is losing an average of 10 productivity hours per week to skills gaps, that’s equivalent to 520 hours per year. With the average North American IT salary at $115,906, that’s nearly $29,000 wasted per employee. Add in the opportunity costs of not training employees to overcome business challenges and the losses are even more substantial.
See the Pearson VUE 2021 Value of IT Certification Employer Report
Global Knowledge’s 2020 IT Skills and Salary Report
% of IT Managers surveyed said…
0%
Certification increased quality and value of work contributions
0%
Certification enables greater ability to mentor and support co-workers
77%
Certification increased ability to innovate and enhance work processes and outcomes
0%
Certified personnel can perform a task or fill a role where not able before
0%
Certification increased efficiency
75%
Certification increased
productivity
productivity
Mainframe Certified – Value to the Mainframe Professional
Pearson VUE’s 2021 Value of IT Certification Report shows that the top motivation behind IT credentialing is a desire to upskill. Most candidates – 73% of the 29,000 respondents – cited the need to obtain particular skills, knowledge, or competencies as their reason for earning an IT credential. Many explained that upskilling was a priority because they needed specific skills to perform at work, or that they felt it was necessary in order to keep abreast of evolving technologies.
Pearson VUE’s 2021 Value of IT Certification Report also shows that IT credentialing generates significant ROI for both the earners and their employers. 70% of the 29,000 respondents met their goals for credentialing and would recommend credentialing to someone seeking to start or advance a career in IT. As a result, many attained new jobs (36%), pay raises (28%), and job promotions (21%). Their employers felt a direct and favorable impact as well, experiencing benefits such as increased quality of work, productivity, efficiency, and the employee’s ability to mentor others.
The second-most important motivation respondents gave was to enhance their professional profiles. More than half (56%) believed that adding IT credentials updated and strengthened the impact of their résumés.
Another 56% of respondents earned IT credentials to increase their chances of advancing and being promoted in their current roles, by acquiring new skills and knowledge.
For some respondents, earning more money was their ultimate payoff. And many were successful, with 28% receiving a salary or wage increase after earning a certification.
Aside from extrinsic benefits, a vast majority of candidates experienced many intrinsic (personal) benefits from earning credentials, such as increased confidence in their abilities, greater determination to succeed, feeling more respected by co-workers, greater job satisfaction, and greater autonomy at work.
See the Pearson VUE 2021 Value of IT Certification to the Individual Report
How to Get Mainframe Certified
A license of Interskill’s online mainframe training resource is all a mainframe professional needs to earn one or more IBM Professional Certificate! They can complete the training and sit the exams at their own pace, studying full time, part time, or around their work schedule. This is self-paced training so IBM Professional Certificates can be earned at whatever pace suits best!
In the MyInterskill LMS, mainframe professionals simply select the IBM Professional Certificate they want to earn, and all the courses, videos, simulations, tests, and exams will be assigned to them in a structured, easy to follow learning path.