The Linux Foundation has announced a new certification program

It’s a common story: Businesses desperately want Linux savvy employees. Programmers and system administrators who cut their teeth on the gcc and the BASH shell want jobs. But, between them rises the wall of human resources, which wants degrees and certifications. The Linux Foundation introduced an answer at LinuxCon: a new Linux Foundation Certification Program for both early-career and engineer-level systems administrators.

Linux has been expanding its reach — powering Google, Facebook and other major platforms — and hiring managers say they’re in need of an increasing number of Linux developers. But many of those jobs are going unfilled, and given the entrenched position of Microsoft Windows inside many companies, not as many developers and admins are getting Linux training and certification as Linux leaders would like. That’s the challenge being tackled by the Linux Foundation — home to Linux creator Linus Torvalds — with a new Linux Certification Program, announced today. “We want to make it easier for developers to learn Linux, prove that they’ve done it, and find jobs,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, in an interview with GeekWire. “On the corollary, we want employers to be able to quickly identify talent and provide them with jobs. Right now, although that is happening in the labor market, it’s not happening fast enough.”