Cutting your data center education budget is a mistake

Written by Staff Writer

During this tight economy one of the first items to get cut from IT budgets has been travel and continuing education. For data center professionals who rely on continuing education to keep them informed on the rapid changes in IT and the Data Center this poses a problem.

According to various studies, including the U.S. Department of Labor, adults complete continuing education for a variety of reasons. The most prominent reason is for personal accomplishment, with learning things they are interested in as a second reason.

Continuing education during a recession is a tough sell for employers. Why, because it is an easy budget cut that will help the organization weather the storm. The problem is that most employees view continuing education as a way for them to better themselves to move up the ladder in their work place. When continuing education is removed or reduced from the budget it eliminates or reduces opportunities for employees to stay abreast of innovations in their profession and reduces morale.

Continuing education programs grease the wheels of career transition, permitting candidates to move into "demand occupations.” The problem with this statement during a recession is that there are fewer career transitions other than layoffs.

Employment placement professionals recommend that if you are on the short list for job reductions in your office then you should suggest continuing education as an alternative to being laid off. A continuing education program that helps your employer with skills he or she needs will help your employer ride out the downturn and invest in skills for the upturn.

If you believe that continuing education will help you and your company then you should fight for it. Ask yourself how the additional formal education will enhance your performance at work. Even more important, you need to think about how the educational experience will be more valuable in the end than the work time you’ll sacrifice while going to training. If you can verbalize that and provide specific examples of how the training or certification will enhance your contributions to the company, you’ll make a convincing case. As a side note, be sure to properly explain and coordinate how your absence will be covered during your training time.
Recently we interviewed Jill Eckhaus, CEO of AFCOM, a leading association supporting the educational and professional development needs of data center professionals around the globe. Jill knows first hand from the AFCOM membership how important continuing education is to them.

Q: Industry reports are noting continuing education will be impacted negatively this year due to the global economy. What is AFCOM hearing from its membership? Are end users cutting back on continuing education? How will it impact your Data Center World events this year?

A: The global recession is affecting budgets in every sector, and data centers are certainly not exempt. According to a survey given to AFCOM members in November of 2008, 49% of respondents have been asked to decrease their budgets in 2009 – the average budget decrease being 15% over their 2008 budgets. Continuing education might seem like a logical cut during times of financial stress, but it’s imperative that data center professionals continue to learn and expand their skills. In order to assist its members, AFCOM will continue to open new local chapters. AFCOM has 38 chapters throughout the world today and continues to grow this program. Members are able to expand their knowledge and build relationships with peers at these local chapters, which costs little to no money.

Data Center World (www.datacenterworld.com) provides five days of intense education and is the largest tradeshow in the industry that displays products and services for the entire data center – from operations to facilities management. In recognition of across-the-board belt tightening, the Data Center World Expo will offer several discussions on saving money in the data center; the show’s closing session is an open forum on how to continue to thrive and be efficient data center managers while spending less. For members who are unable to attend, AFCOM will be offering USB drives containing materials from the educational sessions.

Q: How do you convince organizations and your membership that a skilled workforce will always result in increased economic productivity?

A: Luckily, most of our members are aware of the fact that an educated workforce can only be beneficial. The data center changes more rapidly than any other department in an organization, and must continuously adapt to new technologies and responsibilities. Data center professionals who are equipped with the most current knowledge and skills are inherently more efficient, which translates into short- and long-term financial savings. Associations can help to justify participation in industry events by illustrating how attendance can help save money in the long run, and by showing that peer interaction and understanding trends is vital to organizations. For instance, AFCOM members who wish to attend Data Center World - but can’t get employer approval this year - are coming to us for help, so we’ve put a link on our website which breaks down the cost-saving techniques attendees will learn and can implement in their own data centers. AFCOM support staff is available for additional help should that information not be enough.

Q: Do you believe that continuing education can be seen as a way to retain the better, more educated employees?

A: Educated employees are always ahead of the game. Because this industry changes so rapidly, it’s vital that data center professionals stay abreast of trends and developments. Investing in education for current staff means less employee turnover, which leads to big bottom-line savings for organizations.

Q: If an AFCOM member asks you to provide them a list of reasons why they should attend a live data center continuing education event then what would you tell them?

A: There is truly no better way to learn about industry trends than from experts in the field, and no better place to discover new products and services that will help with projects than conferences and events wholly dedicated your field. Data center events are unparalleled places to network with peers. Attending a live event allows data center professionals to be interactive, giving them the chance to see and feel a product and know exactly what it does – nothing can ever replace that. The same with human interaction – meeting your peers face-to-face and hearing from experts in your field in live forums will keep professionals more engaged, at the top of their game.

Q: Will distance or online continuing education opportunities impact live events and is AFCOM considering this route of training?

A: We firmly believe that although online training is a great supplement, it can’t take the place of face-to-face interaction at a live event. At this point, AFCOM does not have any online educational events planned, but is considering them for the future.

Q: Why is cutting your data center education budget a mistake?

A: The data center is the lifeline of every major organization. What companies must understand is that putting the data center in the hands of a manager who doesn’t know what to do will cause the company to suffer. For instance, if the data center goes down, the company goes down and stands to lose millions. In order to thrive in the face of rapid change – in new technology, breakthrough standards, and updated government regulations – data center professionals must be able to learn from others and have the best education possible.