Scholarships Help Increase Access to Linux Education

What does a file system engineer living in Minnesota have in common with a woman from Uganda working on maintaining Linux systems and a research and computing scientist working at a medical university? They were among the five Linux Training Scholarship winners in 2013.

Now in its fourth year, the Linux training scholarships from The Linux Foundation have become highly-sought honors by many of the most talented up-and-coming Linux pro’s in the world. With nearly 700 submissions received last year we’re very excited to review this year’s applicants in September (the submission deadline is Sept 2).

The Linux Training Scholarship Program is one of the ways we’re working to increase access to Linux education. This program is designed to provide funds to developers, IT professionals and students who show interest and promise in building Linux careers, but who otherwise do not have the ability to attend Linux Foundation training courses.

Additionally, we announced new training partners earlier this year who are helping make Linux Foundation training materials available to more people in more areas around the world. And, in March we introduced the first-ever Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Intro to Linux with edX, which began August 1. With more than 230,000 people signed up to take the course, we know more than ever that there is a strong demand to learn Linux.

Not only do young people and mid-career professionals alike know the value of Linux knowledge, but employers are seeking it out. Our 2014 Linux Jobs Report showed that 93 percent of managers surveyed planned to make Linux hires this year. But 90 percent also reported finding that talent is difficult, which is a five-point increase since 2012. It’s getting more difficult to find qualified Linux pro’s.

We hope the programs we’ve put in place can help. Please share the Linux Training Scholarship details with your friends, families and colleagues and look for opportunities through the Linux Foundation and others to demonstrate your know-how.