Rackspace launches Open Cloud Academy training facility

Rackspace is opening the doors on a new training facility it hopes will address a shortfall in qualified administrators for cloud computing platforms.

The company said that its Open Cloud Academy would allow IT professionals and students to obtain certification in the management and administration of cloud deployments.

Based in San Antonio, Texas, the training facility will target current professionals as well as students, teaching them cloud management techniques. The facility will also house veterans' training programmes to give returning soldiers job skills in IT and cloud administration.

Rackspace hopes that the new campus will help to bridge a gap which exists between cloud vendors and the current curriculum taught in universities. With qualified administrators in short supply, the company believes that many firms are unable to properly deploy cloud computing initiatives.

"As cloud adoption increases, companies stand to reduce IT costs and become more agile, however, with not enough people properly trained in these cutting edge technologies, organisations are missing the boat,” said Rackspace chairman Graham Weston.

"The Open Cloud Academy can help turn the tide by offering highly sought after technical training to the public, bolstering the this scarce pipeline and helping fill the countless number of roles in San Antonio and beyond."

Rackspace is not the only vendor to see a widening gap between emerging platforms and the training programmes offered to students.

Earlier this week government officials warned that in the UK alone some 40,000 more graduates will be needed in order to overcome a skills shortfall in the science and technology sectors.

Vendors have increasingly looked to step in to offer training programmes in areas where universities have fallen short.

EMC has begun offering training programmes and certifications for big data analysts, while IBM has reached out to university computer science departments around the globe to get students versed on its Watson big data platform.