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When we came up with the idea for Dice Learning, the first thing we did was get together with four groups of Dice.com users from two cities. We sat down and asked them what were some of the main difficulties with tech training and certification. The number one problem was one of sheer size. Browsing around the internet for IT training and certification providers is like wandering through a toy store. There's a ton of cool stuff out there and way too much to take in.
Everyone agreed is was difficult to know which one of the thousands of training providers was right for them. Immediate questions that came to mind were, "is this a reputable training company?", "how long have they been in business?", "what's the quality of their learning materials?" Being busy people, naturally, nobody had the time to go out and check out a large number of companies. Narrowing the list down was a logical starting point for making Dice Learning a valuable service.
Vetting Process
The first task we undertook was to determine what the criteria was going to be for selecting training providers for Dice Learning. In a nutshell, they were:
- Direct Training - want to learn direct from major tech vendors? No problem - Dice Learning lists courses direct from companies like IBM, Cisco, Sun, and tech authorities like SANS and GIAC.
- Reputation - the third party training providers had to be well-known, teaching tech candidates for a long time, and respected in the industry.
- Scope - the third party training providers had to offer a large range of training to cover everything from networking and telecom, to web development, databases, and everything in between.
- Location - for our classroom training providers, the training providers had to have learning centers across the entire United States.
- Authorized - the training providers had to be officially authorized by the major vendors (IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle, etc.) to teach people how to use their technology.
- Quality - the training providers had to have easy-to-use online materials, skilled instructors, and current equipment for hands-on learning.
With strict criteria set, Dice Learning staff started reviewing learning providers. We found a wide range of companies that sold tech training to candidates. Some were pretty impressive while others we wouldn't recommend to anyone. We were able to narrow the list of training providers down to a select handful of top tier companies. After making contact with the remaining training providers, we spent the time to review their materials, take actual classes they offered, and get feedback from a range of people on the quality companies.
Preferred Training Providers
The users we spoke with liked the idea of Dice vetting and screening training providers to find the best partners. Deemed "preferred training providers" these companies would be featured on Dice Learning and make up the majority of tech learning classes offered. However, the idea of having a wider selection of training providers, should the preferred provider for some reason not have the available training, was thought of as a great "back up" plan. Dice Learning lists training materials from both authorized third party training providers as well as direct from major technology vendors like IBM, Cisco, Sun, and others.
Web-Based Training
Dice Learning selected Element K as preferred provider for web-based training. While Element K isn't the largest web-based training provider, their IT catalog is extensive and well-suited for the Dice audience. They have a solid reputation among tech professionals for quality, and are fully authorized by major tech vendors like Cisco and RedHat to teach their technology. Taking their classes, we liked their learning management system the best. Their learning interface is intuitive and bug-free. Element K has taken the time to work with us to bundle courses by tech certification to ensure Dice users know what classes lead to what certification.
Instructor-Led Training
Dice Learning selected New Horizons Computer Learning Centers as preferred provider for instructor-led classroom training. New Horizons has been teaching technology for 25 years, has over 300 individual learning centers in 60 countries, and a large IT catalog. They are fully authorized by vendors like Microsoft, Sun, Cisco, Oracle, and IBM to instruct candidates on their technology. We also liked the fact that New Horizons classrooms use Element K courseware as part of regular instruction. Dice staff has taken multiple classes from New Horizons and has had very positive experiences. Talking with New Horizons management, they were excited to connect with the Dice audience.
IT Bootcamps
Dice Learning selected Unitek as preferred provider for IT bootcamp training. Based in northern California, but with training centers in most major cities, Unitek was a clear choice for bootcamp provider. Unitek is a learning partner for Microsoft, Citrix, Cisco, CompTIA, RedHat and NetApp. They offer authorized training for Oracle and Sun products and are the only company in the U.S. to have achieved the dual status of Microsoft Gold Partner for Learning Solutions and Cisco Learning Partner.
Other Training Providers
An ongoing process, we felt it important to allow other training providers to come to Dice Learning and add their tech training courses and learning materials. Some of these learning providers were companies we really liked, but were usually specialized to limited core competencies. While we wouldn't be able to screen and qualify these other learning providers, their inclusion would expand the number of classes offered, give Dice users the power of choice, and give opportunities for smaller "boutique" training facilities to teach candidates very specific technologies.
Conclusion
By taking the time to review and compare major training providers, and determining who is the best, we are confident that we have partnered with the best tech training providers available. With those difficult tasks out of the way, we hope you find Dice Learning an easy-to-use and valuable service. Our ongoing goal will be to simplify tech learning just like we simplify tech jobs, and take the confusion out of looking for solid training. We appreciate you utilizing Dice Learning for your tech training needs, and welcome your feedback.
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