The 1000 hours of deliberate Practice before the age of 20 certainly makes you a master of the trade. But first things first, university technology programs have always lacked the basic facilities for hands-on experiences among students and used to start only in in-class training sessions or during their enterprise training sessions. So what is the best way to master a skill in today’s IT ecosystem?

With the need to ensure the continuous digital transformation of the workforce, it is imperative that enterprises facilitate hands-on training infrastructures and invest in hands-on learning and development programs. As newer technologies are emerging at lesser frequencies and the shelf life of skills reducing drastically, physical infrastructure for hands-on training is getting out-dated earlier than expected for businesses. We have identified a few weak links with regards to practice in technology learning and development and a viable solution.

The weak links

A lesser amount of practice

As mentioned earlier, technical education starts at universities, carried forward by online learning portals and enterprise L&D programs. So what do learners miss? It is enough amount of practice. The number of hours spent practicing the theory learned may not be more than a hundred for most of the learners.

Quality of practice infrastructure

Practicing of technology used to require access to enterprise networks and installation of software on the learner’s PC. Learners faced issues where they could not access the right network or there was an issue in the software installed in their computers. The set up was time-consuming and programs lasted longer than expected. This used to be an optimal solution to training needs until Virtual Labs replaced them.

Cloud-based Virtual Practice-Labs – The Solution

The virtual IT labs powered by managed cloud services act as practice grounds for budding and employed professionals who want to put in the hours of practice in any technology they want to master. The virtual labs provide robust scalable infrastructure with pre-configured labs and real-world scenarios for an immersive learning experience. Billed as per usage, the lower cost of the platform encourages even individuals to add a significant number of practice hours when needed. Practicing on frequently updated virtual labs adds the latest employability skills to learners’ résumé. Enterprise technology training becomes a steady development with scalable and customized training solutions as time-consuming infrastructure updates are no longer required.
Most high-end universities, learning portals, and enterprises are adopting virtual labs in order to guarantee a hands-on learning experience to their learners.

Conclusion

Virtual Lab based IT training curriculum has shown positive results for learners. They can access their practice playground on and off-campus with hands-on lab experience and work on the industry’s most in-demand and up-to-date technologies in a virtual setting. The hands-on experience acquired from the platform engages learners and connect them to their professional discipline. Are your learners getting enough of the practice they require?

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