Cloud Computing Training Courses

When it comes to cloud computing adoption, the numbers really speak for themselves:

96% of organizations already use some form of the cloud
On average, businesses leverage nearly 5 separate clouds
26% of enterprises spend over $6 million per year on public cloud computing

Cloud computing comes with its own challenges, though. Already, estimates show that 35% of cloud spending goes to waste due to insufficient cloud cost optimization. And as applications, services, and platforms continue to evolve, IT pros need to be ready to adapt.

Learning and development departments have an opportunity to improve all aspects of their businesses by delivering high-quality cloud computing courses to their employees. With the right cloud computing training program, your organization can reap the benefits for years to come.

What Is Cloud Computing?

3 Main Cloud Computing Providers

How to Start a Career in Cloud Computing (and Advance It)

Possible Learning Paths for Cloud Computing Training

What Is Cloud Computing?

The first step to building out a cloud computing training program is actually understanding what this delivery model is.

Cloud computing is an IT model that delivers compute power, storage space, applications, and other resources on demand. The result is a pay-as-you-go economic model that promotes speed and agility in IT operations. Additionally, the widespread shift to the cloud reduces (and often eliminates) the need for complex, on-premises equipment that require significant resources to maintain.

There are many nuances of cloud computing as a concept, but there are three main approaches that businesses will take advantage of:

Software as a Service (SaaS): A complete product is run and managed by the service provider and delivered via the internet. These are typically the applications your employees use day in and day out.
Platform as a Service (PaaS): In this case, the infrastructure is managed by a service provider while developers can build and manage applications within the environment.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): The least-complete type of cloud computing, IaaS offers the building blocks of IT for businesses to control. From networking features to data storage, IaaS gives you on-premises IT resources without the CapEx economic model.

The reality is that IT teams must be well-versed in each type of cloud computing. The modern IT infrastructure will consist of a mix of each type.

As you plan out your cloud computing training program, include courses that cover each type as well as the platforms that deliver them.

3 Main Cloud Computing Providers

The market of cloud computing solutions and services continues to grow more crowded. However, when you’re preparing a cloud computing training program, there are certain building blocks that can’t be ignored.

The basic definition and 3 types of cloud computing are essential. But in addition to those foundational elements, your program should also include courses for the three main cloud computing platforms:

Amazon Web Services (AWS): For over a decade, AWS has been the market leader in public cloud computing services. Its services grow more diverse every year and its maturity is a major advantage to IT departments. Amazon Web Services is often described as the most enterprise-ready of the major providers.
Microsoft Azure: While Microsoft was a later entry amongst cloud computing services, its foothold with software like Microsoft Office, Sharepoint, Windows Server, and other solutions gave it an opportunity for growth. As a result, many businesses find the transition to Azure easier if they’re already invested in Microsoft products.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP): The main draw of GCP is its focus on supporting cloud-native businesses. It may not offer the same level of enterprise readiness as other cloud computing platforms, but it delivers DevOps expertise that’s attractive to many IT teams.

Having a one-and-done approach to cloud computing training falls short for platforms like these. New features come up all the time and modern IT pros have to be ready to keep pace with capabilities.

Beyond training specifically for these platforms, talent development leaders also have to future-proof the IT team by offering cloud computing courses that deliver continuous education and advancement.

How to Start a Career in Cloud Computing (and Advance It)

Cloud computing as we know it today has really only existed for about 15 years. Even the most experienced IT professionals have had to start from square one when it comes to cloud computing. That gives talent development departments an opportunity to give their IT teams a competitive advantage with the right cloud computing training program.

Whether your team is just starting down the path of cloud computing or starting to take on more advanced capabilities, you can provide access to cloud computing courses that help at every stage.

A few examples of valuable courses include:

Cloud Architecture: Get familiar with the business and tech-related basics of building a cloud architecture. Your employees can learn the fundamentals and then get started with making cloud computing a core piece of an organization.
Serverless Computing: Perhaps the next iteration of cloud computing, serverless allows a business to build and run applications/services without managing any infrastructure at all. Here, employees can learn the key use cases for serverless computing.
Career Paths and Certifications: For employees just starting out in cloud computing, this course can help lay out the possible career paths and introduce them to possible certifications.
Cloud Governance: In some ways, cloud computing can become as complicated as traditional on-premises infrastructure. Governance is the process of applying policies and principles to cloud computing services to ensure security and compliance. This course goes into the tools and processes necessary to maintain governance.
Advanced Cloud Architecture: Once a team has a handle on the cloud computing basics, it’s important to move onto advanced concepts to unlock competitive advantages. This course focuses on microservices, serverless computing, different ways to deploy cloud resources, and more.
Cloud Computing Networking: Adopting cloud computing isn’t just about choosing from one of the main platforms. Your IT team needs a deep understanding of how networking works and how the cloud impacts traditional connectivity.
Cloud Computing Storage: Of all the different cloud computing services, storage is the most widely used. Knowing the ins and outs of storage planning, budgeting, and security is essential and this course provides a comprehensive overview.
Cloud Monitoring and Operations: If you want to keep track of the health, performance, and security of your entire stack running in the cloud, you'll need a workforce that understands monitoring and operations. This course goes over several possible solutions and explains the basics of keeping track of cloud computing infrastructure.

There are hundreds of potential courses to include in a cloud computing training program. What’s more important is piecing them together in a way that properly motivates and educates the workforce. That requires strategic planning for individual paths in the cloud computing discipline.

Possible Learning Paths for Cloud Computing Training

Much of the LinkedIn Learning library of cloud computing courses is organized around learning paths. Employees can take advantage of on-demand courses while benefitting from the guided nature of the training.

If you’re looking to build out a cloud computing training program, consider these popular learning paths:

Become a Cloud Developer: From backup and storage to PaaS, SaaS, microservices, and web services, this collection of courses covers all the fundamentals that new cloud developers need to understand.
Become a Cloud Administrator: While developers build and deliver new apps and services, administrators need to make decisions about cloud computing platforms and tools. This learning path explores the key components of cloud computing and certifications for rising administrators.
Digital Transformation for Tech Leaders: Cloud computing is a major driver of digital transformation projects. In addition to the granular concepts of cloud computing, IT leaders need to understand how this technology fits into the business at large. This learning path helps leaders implement digital strategies with cloud computing at the core.

These courses and learning paths are just examples of what’s included in the LinkedIn Learning library. Browse the full catalog to see what you can use to build out a high-performance cloud computing training program.