Finding: More Employers Paying for IT Professionals' Certifications

According to new research, a host of test centers and developer of online testing software, the number of employers in the U.S. that invest in staff development through job training and certification has grown by 10 percent since 2014.

Pearson VUE’s latest research, a survey of more than 5,000 U.S. IT professionals, showed that, in the last 12 months, employers paid for 52 percent of their IT professionals’ Pearson-facilitated test and that they paid for 50 percent of certification exams. Interviews with these individuals also showed that certification had a positive impact on their professional lives. As far as Pearson VUE Managing Director Bob Whelan is concerned, this shows that employers are beginning to value their IT staff more because it reflects in better performance at work.

“Our research shows that IT employers in the USA recognize the value of their staff gaining further qualifications as a boost to their careers, because this benefits the employer as well in terms of productivity and efficiency,” Whelan said. “Many are immediately benefiting from training and certification, so much so that nearly 90 percent intend to obtain an additional certification in the next year.”

Although Pearson’s brief about its extended report says that it conducted surveys with more than 27,000 IT exam candidates in 180 countries, it did not elaborate on additional findings. A look at its past records, however, shows that IT professionals in the Middle East have sought out certifications because they boost their reputations in the working world. That previous company study showed that, just like the U.S. IT professionals mentioned above, about 59 percent reported that certification had a positive impact on their professional lives. The biggest difference between the two groups is that a much higher percentage of candidates in the Middle East paid for their own certifications.

It is unclear whether or not that trend is changing globally. What is clear, at least in the U.S., is that a feedback loop is taking place. IT staff learn more skills and become more efficient at their work after obtaining certification or studying for tests. They then take that knowledge back to the workplace, which improves efficiency of enterprise operations. Managers see this trend and continue to invest in the education of its staff. This appears to be a good thing for everyone involved and is likely a trend that IT professionals would prefer to grow.