what's your virtualization training budget?

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Thuleman

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This is a question more so for those who deploy and operate virtualization environments rather than those who sell them. VARs probably spend a lot more on training because they have to?

I was just asked to look over a 175k VDI pilot budget for another unit in my org and I noted that there was no money allocated for training. The people who supposed to operate it have some experience from their POC phase, but no formal training. So I pointed out that at 175k it would be prudent to send at least one person to proper VMware training.

The response was that they did OK with the POC and so the training seems like wasted money.

So ..., yes, the VMware ICM courses are by no means required to work with the software and frankly the ICM course content isn't useful for people who already work with the technology. But IMHO a lot of the course value comes from knowledge transfer between students on subjects not covered by the course.

It seems to me that just like a vehicle repair shop includes a percentage for shop supplies there ought to be a percentage for training (whether classroom based, online, self paced, books, conferences, etc.) in IT project budgets. I know that I put training into my budget(s) and I never got any grief over that from anyone.

How does your org handle training on virtualization topics/initiatives?
 
We have a few free training credits from VMware. However, we don't have an official budget for it. I pay for it all out of pocket. This will change soon if they promote me were I am hoping they promote me to.
 
I don't count, but I'm curious what others respond so dot for follow :)
 
Training? I just deploy and run this stuff, who needs training?

Actually trying to get some thrown in with next years maintenance, think it'll be easier if we finally move to an EA. Plenty of Microsoft training credits each year but we haven't been able to do the same with VMware yet.
 
I work for an MSP. We have no training budget. I paid for ICM and VCP out of my own pocket.

For that kind of projcet, I'd push pretty hard for training. Probably not ICM though (at least not by itself), something VDI specific.

Even if you only learn one useful thing in the training that gains some efficiency in your rollout or saves end users time or hassle, it'd probably pay for the training multiple times over.
 
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My training consists of screwing around until it works, [H], Google, and calling the official support line when it doesn't work.
 
TeeJayHoward said:
My training consists of screwing around until it works, [H], Google, and calling the official support line when it doesn't work.
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Same as here. So far I haven't had to go past the [H] or Google to fix any issue i've had. Official training budget is zero unfortunately.
 
TeeJayHoward said:
My training consists of screwing around until it works, [H], Google, and calling the official support line when it doesn't work.
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+1

I would be curious to know if anyone has been offered resources toward a lab environment in lieu of training.
 
I put part of my bonus towards building and maintaining a home lab. I could do other things with that money, but it has been a worthwhile investment.
 
Billiam29 said:
I would be curious to know if anyone has been offered resources toward a lab environment in lieu of training.
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My work lab consists of three Dell 2950's and an EQL array which is all old equipment that was refreshed and I was able to keep in place. My home lab is just my normal desktop PC with VMware Workstation and I bought a few SSDs to spin up things as needed. I do have VPN access to my lab at work though so I don't monkey around at home much. In fact, I try to not work much at home either which way. It's hard but also important to keep the two separate.

I was just advising on the VDI project, and I did suggest that they should either find the cash within the current budget or add 10k for training. If you think about it, the VMware course is 4k, then there's the flight and expenses, and then there's payroll, so to go to VMware training is like 10k for one person.

I had to cut training from 5k to 2k per person in the coming fiscal year.
 
In the previous organization I worked for (a not for profit), training budgets were virtually eliminated.
If we were lucky, one person got training and passed that on to the rest of us ... ie train the trainer.

At first I thought this was a mistake ... but after thinking about all the previous training
I (and the rest of the team) had been afforrded, it made sense.

The quality of training was going down while the cost of training was going up.

I have self-studied for the past 20 years. It's a double-edge sword for me.
I need to be able to bounce ideas/learning experience off others and cannot when It's only me.

These days, it seems like it's expected for "I.T. Professionals" to do their own learning at their own cost. ...anyway thats another thread.

Currrently working at a great company (for-profit) ... still self study ... still via my own home lab (because my homelab is more robust than what they provide currently).
I have more access to software and online self-paced training ...but ....

The interaction with other team members is most important part of my learning...can't be stressed enough.
 
I can't remember who on this forum (NetJunkie maybe?) said that their work does this, but I'll see if my boss is open to doing a home lab reimbursement. The example was half of the lab costs up to $1500, so $750. I've easily invested at least $1500 in my home lab over the last year.
 
My employer just paid for training for our VDI project at Global Knowledge. Our project is very similar to the OP's so training was a must. I took the "vmware horizon view: install, configure, manage v5.2" course which is very similar to performing the tasks in the vmware horizon view reviewer's guide. It was definitely worth it as they provided a virtual esxi server and vm's to walk you through every step. The cost for the training at GK was about 3k and I took the online version that was combined with an in-class session in another state.
 
Unfortunately, VMWare isn't a "core" function of my present job, so I get $0 for training. As a whole, we don't really spend much on training to begin with each year - they'll refund you a few hundred bucks (max I think $1500 or $2000 / year) for training or school. I'm trying to find money to complete the required course for VCP5-DCV... hoping to get that and move into a more focused role doing architect type work. It's a bit steep to bite off on my own, but hopefully would pay off in the end.
 
Eulogy said:
Unfortunately, VMWare isn't a "core" function of my present job, so I get $0 for training. As a whole, we don't really spend much on training to begin with each year - they'll refund you a few hundred bucks (max I think $1500 or $2000 / year) for training or school. I'm trying to find money to complete the required course for VCP5-DCV... hoping to get that and move into a more focused role doing architect type work. It's a bit steep to bite off on my own, but hopefully would pay off in the end.
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Checked a local community college to see if they offer anything for VMware courses? At least you get some funding back. I don't receive anything other than my own satisfaction.
 
I have checked in the past - I should check again. Unless I'm mistaken though, you need to take the official vmware training course in order to be eligible for the VCP5-DCV. I really want that cert. I get a ton of satisfaction out of my learning (my lab isn't just limited to vmware, I basically spin up VMs for anything I want to learn), but since I want to make a career out of this, I feel I "need" that cert.
 
That's pretty sweet. Mine isn't, but local places do offer the course... I'll have to see if I can somehow swing it with reimbursement. If not, out of pocket it is!
 
Eulogy said:
That's pretty sweet. Mine isn't, but local places do offer the course... I'll have to see if I can somehow swing it with reimbursement. If not, out of pocket it is!
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If your CC offers an ICM course then it's accepted as VCP prereq. Schools cannot offer the ICM course unless they are a VMware IT Academy, and if they are then students get ICM course credit via mylearn.vmware.com which counts toward the VCP.
 
Thuleman said:
If your CC offers an ICM course then it's accepted as VCP prereq. Schools cannot offer the ICM course unless they are a VMware IT Academy, and if they are then students get ICM course credit via mylearn.vmware.com which counts toward the VCP.
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Correct. That is how I did my VCP5 and VCAP5 training/course.
 
Thanks for the info. I'll browse their catalog more this evening when I get home and see. I have a feeling they don't, but things may have changed in the ~18 months since I started checking. Thanks again.
 
I've had no luck in contacting schools in my area that are part of the VMware IT Academy. I end up getting transferred around to different people that have don't have any idea what it is, if it's part of continuing education or a degree program and finally I end up at an answering machine asking me to leave a message and they may eventually get back to me if they feel like it.

https://labs.vmware.com/vita-faq
 
My home lab....
Wish I wasn't kidding.
Past month though my manger sprung for Plural sight training for the dept. I've been going through them at home (no time at work) and they have been really good.
 
ND40oz said:
I've had no luck in contacting schools in my area that are part of the VMware IT Academy. I end up getting transferred around to different people that have don't have any idea what it is, if it's part of continuing education or a degree program and finally I end up at an answering machine asking me to leave a message and they may eventually get back to me if they feel like it.
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Part of the problem is that many schools signed up "for good measure" but never actually put on a class as the instructor requirement at the time was that instructors need to pass the VCP with an above 85%. This was an issue for many educators who are just that and have zero practical experience.

I thought that was a good practice, but I guess there was too much whining and VMware relented a couple(?) years into the vITA program and now anyone who has completed either official ICM training or a TTT course can be a vITA instructor. This of course lowers the quality of instruction.

So anyway, schools which are enrolled as vITA aren't necessarily offering courses. The VMware vITA office is very small and they don't have the time to follow up with schools and drop those which are inactive. There was also some drama where VTACs complained about vITA schools stealing their clients. vITA cannot offer more than 12 hours / week of instruction, and many schools spread out their course over the whole 15 weeks of a semester. That really doesn't compare to the 4-5 day VTAC courses.

The way to figure out whether or not your college is offering a course is to search their catalog for "vmware". ICM courses tend to be marked as such. If it's not in the catalog for the current or next semester then it doesn't exist.

This is also a "take note" moment for those of you who are interested in teaching in addition to your day-job. Approach your local CC and propose to make them a vITA with you being the instructor. You will need lab equipment but that's pretty ez since it's all running nested anyway.

Slightly OT to the original training question, but hopefully helpful.
 
Thuleman said:
The way to figure out whether or not your college is offering a course is to search their catalog for "vmware". ICM courses tend to be marked as such. If it's not in the catalog for the current or next semester then it doesn't exist.
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So this is what I started out doing, nothing came up listed under VMware for any of them. So then I started searching through all of the IT courses they had listed and found some courses listed as a virtualization course. At that point, I started searching for those course IDs to try and figure out what they taught which lead me to jack squat since I couldn't find syllabuses for any of them. That's what lead to the phone tree to nowhere when calling these schools.

If they're going to list the schools on their website, then they need to audit them at least yearly instead of blindly listing them as participating with no information other then a web link. Either do it correctly or don't bother listing them at all.
 
no "vmware" or even "virtualization" on the course listings here. Le sigh.
 
benzino_86 said:
I can't remember who on this forum (NetJunkie maybe?) said that their work does this, but I'll see if my boss is open to doing a home lab reimbursement. The example was half of the lab costs up to $1500, so $750. I've easily invested at least $1500 in my home lab over the last year.
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Yes, that is us. It's something I pushed hard on to get done. We'll pay for half of a person's lab up to $750 ($1500 total). The idea is we want people to put some skin in the game for their lab so it gets used. It's been very successful.

We also pay for PluralSight for almost all of our engineers. I just don't see how companies don't do that. It's so cheap and the library is incredible. My XtremIO course should launch any minute..and I signed the contract on the VMware NSX courses last week. Find that type of training for $29/$49 month anywhere else....

I'm not a fan of organized training. I get a lot of it being the CTO at the company and it's often a waste. They could easily take the 5 day classes and do them in 3..and they'll often do just that for partner training. 5 days is too much time. If you have to travel it adds to the expense.

Also... Take advantage of VMware's HoLs. Those labs are great and you don't have to follow the script. I do customers demos of products out of those labs all the time. Been using the NSX one heavily for some quick testing where I didn't want to mess up my home lab. I believe they just opened them up to everyone now. If not let me know. I can probably get you a login.
 
Good call on the HoL, here's the link: http://labs.hol.vmware.com/HOL/ anyone can register afaik, it's not your vmware.com or mylearn login, it's separate.

I forgot to mention that we also pay for PluralSight subscriptions. Great value.
 
NetJunkie said:
Yes, that is us. It's something I pushed hard on to get done. We'll pay for half of a person's lab up to $750 ($1500 total). The idea is we want people to put some skin in the game for their lab so it gets used. It's been very successful.

We also pay for PluralSight for almost all of our engineers. I just don't see how companies don't do that. It's so cheap and the library is incredible. My XtremIO course should launch any minute..and I signed the contract on the VMware NSX courses last week. Find that type of training for $29/$49 month anywhere else....

I'm not a fan of organized training. I get a lot of it being the CTO at the company and it's often a waste. They could easily take the 5 day classes and do them in 3..and they'll often do just that for partner training. 5 days is too much time. If you have to travel it adds to the expense.

Also... Take advantage of VMware's HoLs. Those labs are great and you don't have to follow the script. I do customers demos of products out of those labs all the time. Been using the NSX one heavily for some quick testing where I didn't want to mess up my home lab. I believe they just opened them up to everyone now. If not let me know. I can probably get you a login.
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I helped write some of those HoL labs :)
 
My company doesn't pay for anything training related in regard to it. They expect us to learn it in our own time. While I am fine with keeping up with technology I feel there should be some backing for it whether in time compensation or cost compensation. They now want me to take a more active role in engineering and it is some what of a mess IMO. I am up for a challenge but I also don't want to strap myself to dynamite either.
 
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