Employability Program: Guidelines for Partners

Program Description
Program Offer to Partners
Program Offer to Candidates
Partner Benefits
Process for Partner participation
Selection of Partners

Selection of Candidates

Recommended Criteria for Selecting Candidates
Candidate Data
Note for Candidates: During the Program

After the Program

Appendix 1: List of the important details for the Partners’ web
page dedicated to the Program

Appendix 2. Scenarios for Partners’ participation
Appendix 3. FAQs
Appendix 4. Example of the timelines for Partner’s and
candidates’ participation in the Program  

 

Program Description

The Linux Professional Institute Employability Program (referred below as “the Program”) is designed to deliver benefits to approved partners of Linux Professional Institute (LPI) involved in career-targeted education programs (referred below as “Partners”) as well as their students.

The goal of the Program is to enable access to certifications and employment opportunities to candidates wanting careers in open source, through the network of LPI Partners. In support of its mission, LPI strives to minimize financial barriers to training and testing for them through its global Partner network, and support local efforts in building knowledge and skills capacities.

Education and certification offer a proven path to careers in Information technology (IT) everywhere, including countries with developing economies where costs to participate can be prohibitive to many. LPI is aware of these challenges, and seeks to assist candidates facing obstacles in financing their professional training and certification goals.

Through the Program, Partners are able to provide suitable candidates with affordable access to career-focused Linux and open source training along with certification exams on a complimentary basis. Once they have passed their exams, and become certified, LPI Partner will encourage local hiring partners to assist Program participants in furthering their career paths, if such assistance is available.

This document provides basic guidelines to Partners as well as clarification of criteria and advice for successful participation in the Program. LPI reserves the right to change the program in the future, and tailor it to local needs and participant feedback.

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Program Offer to Partners

The Program is tailored for the Partners involved in local community development.

  • This program is designed for any Partner in good standing offering training aimed at LPI Certificate and Certification Programs (Essentials, Linux Professional, Open Technology). This may include Approved Training Partners, Academic Partners, Channel Partners and Community Partners.
  • Partners may apply for tuition relief to support up to 10 seats for candidates or 25% of the class attendees (whichever is lower).
  • Partners receive tuition support equivalent up to the full cost of an LPI exam at their location for each course delivered to an eligible Program Candidate. The tuition support is provided as a credit to the Partner’s LPI account and can be applied toward future voucher purchases.

This is a yearly program supported by LPI, and each Program will be running until the assigned financial resources are used for that year.

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Program Offer to Candidates

  • Candidates are identified by Partners
  • Candidates receive free training from the Partner
  • After successfully completing the training, candidates receive free exam vouchers (100% subsidy)
  • The Program can be used to support Candidates pursuing any LPI certification or certificate Program.
  • If a certification requires more than one exam, vouchers will be offered for each required exam.
  • Vouchers will be provided per Candidate for the first exam take and for the first retake, in case the candidate fails the exam.

Important fact: There are no financial transactions between LPI and the Candidate. They receive free of charge training and 100% discounted vouchers.

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Partner Benefits

Within this program there’s significant work expected from the Partners. Here are the Partner benefits:

  • Partners are able to improve the employability of people in their community
  • Partners will lower barriers to career-based education in their community
  • Partners will have co-promotion of the their participation
  • Partners will improve the talent pool which may attract employers
  • Partners will take advantage and make better use of the empty seats in their classes and improve the usage capacity of their training
  • Partners are seen as  supporting capacity building efforts in their regions

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Process for Partner Participation and Grant Application:

This is a brief description of the process that Partner will go through in this Program.

  1. Partner learns about the Program through their partner success manager (PSM), other partners, website, blog, etc.
  2. Partner identifies local candidates in need of support, and confirms that these potential candidates will benefit from the Program, strive to use it to get certified, and commit to follow the program to its conclusion.
    Sourcing candidates should be in sync with the Guidelines for Partners.
  3. Partner fills in and submits the grant application with support of their PSM if required. Examples for calculating the cost are in the Application, as well as below.
    Note that application should be sent minimum one month before the training commences.
    Example:
    Partner in Brazil has 3 candidates who will take the training for the LPIC-1 certification, and 2 candidates who will take LPIC-3 training. Each LPIC-1 exam cost is 173 USD, and each LPIC-3 exam is 173 USD. Amount asked will be 3x173x2 + 2x173x1= 1384 USD. 
    Partner will receive following vouchers to distribute to candidates – 6 vouchers for LPIC-1 exams and 2 vouchers for LPIC-3 exams. 
  4. Prerequisite for the Partner: In order to continue with the Program and provide transparency, Partner must provide dedicated space on their website (webpage) with details about the Program. The description should clarify details about the Program, selection criteria and expectations.
    Web page should be available BEFORE Partner sources out the local candidates.
  5. Once LPI receives the application from the Partner, they will receive an automatic message that LPI will get them feedback within 14 days.
  6. Program Lead gives feedback to the Partner (by email) with a ‘Approved/Not Approved/Pending Approval’ decision along with the amount of the approved tuition support. In case there are clarifications to be made by a Partner, the timeline is moved to 14 days after all the questions LPI Working Group have been answered.
    • In case the Partner has been approved, LPI will inform them about the next steps and the amount of the approved tuition support.
    • In case Partner hasn’t been approved, they will receive the decision and a short feedback. LPI reserves the right not to submit detailed explanations about the decision.
  7. Once Partner has been approved:
    • The Partner receives tuition support equivalent up to the full cost of LPI exams at their location for each course delivered to an eligible Program Candidate.
      • The tuition support amount will be added to the Partner’s LPI financial account in the form of credit, and can be used towards future purchases. Details for payments and building credit accounts will be shared upon application, or by request in email.
        In special situations evaluated on a case-by-case basis,  the Partner may request cash payment instead of having their account credited. In such cases the Partner agrees to pay all sender and receiver expenses incurred. See FAQ for details. 
    • The appropriate exam vouchers will be sent to the Partner for forwarding to the Candidate.
  8. Before the training starts, Partner shares the Candidate Data with LPI (name, last name, LPI ID, resume/LinkedIn profile, is candidate taking part in Government or Industry employment or education programs).
  9. Partner holds the training and educates selected candidates. The Partner commits to providing the Candidate with the same level of their training as provided to students outside the Program.
  10. After the training is held and candidates are trained through the Program, Partner will send the confirmation to the LPI team. Attach all the invoices, if it applies to the Partner.
  11. Once trained, Candidates should get certified.
  12. After the training and after Candidates are certified, Partner should put them in contact with hiring managers.
  13. One year after they are trained, LPI to follow up directly with the Candidates (end users).

Appendix 4 has the example of the timeline for Partner’s participation in the Program.

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Selection of Partners

LPI will select partners and approve the amount or part of the amount requested by the Partner. In order to benefit from the Program, Partner must:

  • Be Partner in good standing
  • Be provider of the listed services (training provider for Linux and open source courses that mainly target the LPI certifications)

LPI will apply following selection criteria to the selection of the Partners who will benefit from the Program, and prioritize Partners who have:

  • Training tailored to LPI certifications in place
  • Close collaboration with the LPI Hiring Partners or the hiring managers, and who will be able to assist candidates in job search
  • Long term training practice
  • Experience in similar Programs (administered by governmental or non-governmental organizations, industry groups, or other sources)

Partners that are participating in local employment programs or have one of their own are invited to participate. Experience in working with other programs is considered an asset when applying eligibility criteria.

Partners running “one-off” training sessions or starting pilot programs are also invited to apply, though priority will be given to ongoing regularly-scheduled  programs.

Not all submitted applications for the participation in the Program will be approved.  LPI reserves final authority over elections and the number of the candidates who will be supported through the program.

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Selection of Candidates

Guidance for Partners on how to identify suitable Candidates.

Selection of candidates is solely the responsibility of the Partner. LPI will not interfere with the final process of the selection of candidates, and is only providing recommended criteria.

LPI is aware that each Partner will encounter local challenges regarding selection of suitable Candidates from the local community. Many candidates will appear as ideal for the program, and we encourage each Partner to and identify candidates who are most in-need for training and certification.

Selecting candidates is an important and transparent process and rules and selection criteria should be stipulated on a dedicated page of the Partner’s website. Details on the webpage should include basic information about the Program, criteria and process for selecting candidates, and feedback candidates will receive from the Partner. The dedicated web page must also include a link to the LPI Code of Conduct and the expectation that Candidates comply with it.

Any misuse of the Program funding will result in the ban for the Partners’ participation in this Program, and may affect participation in other LPI programs. Severe infractions will be referred to LPI Partnership Department.

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Recommended Criteria for Selecting Candidates:

Candidates should be able to inform themselves about the Program and criteria on the above mentioned webpage and through contact with Partner.

The following are some suggested criteria for selecting candidates.

  • A Candidate should demonstrate a genuine need for financial and educational support. It is up to Partner to identify Candidates who are encountering the greatest financial obstacles to a career in open source.
  • Examples include unemployed candidates, candidates who are working on the  career change or candidates who can demonstrate that are in need for this support).
  • It’s advised that candidates are 18 years or older, though younger students (based on the Partner’s normal age-limit policies) may be eligible.
  • Candidates must not be owners, staff or contractors of LPI or its Partners, or immediately related to them.
  • Candidates need to register with LPI and obtain LPI ID
  • LPI Partners must take every effort to avoid bias in selecting candidates based on race, religion, gender, family or other such characteristics.
  • Partner must not receive money, services or goods from candidates in exchange for participation in the program.

Partners must also assure that the education provided to Candidates is the same as that provided to other students in the same course(s). Having a situation in which Program Candidates are provided an inferior experience (ie, not given study guides given to other students in the class) is not acceptable to LPI.

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Candidate Data

Candidate data will be known to the Partner and LPI, and will be treated as confidential until the end of program.

Before the training starts, LPI would need following data about Candidates:

  • Name and last name
  • LPI ID of candidates who are set to participate in program
  • Resume/CV or LinkedIn profile link
  • Is the candidate participating in any other employment or education assistance programs? Provide a link to the program.

Sourcing these data will enable LPI to learn more about the candidates and their progress, and measure the success of the program.

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Note for Candidates: During the Program

Candidates should be advised by Partner that all LPI programs imply the highest level of professionalism and ethical behavior. Breaching the LPI Code of Conduct during participation in the Program will not be tolerated and may result in immediate expulsion. Decisions made by administrators of the Program are final.

All selected candidates must comply to Code of Conduct.
All Candidates must agree to be contacted by LPI for the purpose of the survey.

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After the Program

Partner has to report back to LPI for the purpose of tracking and measuring the benefits of the program.

For that purpose, LPI has created Survey for Partners and Survey for Candidates. Surveys should be filled in three (3) months after the training has finished, and one (1) year after the program. The purpose of the Survey is to measure the success of the Program.

After the candidates have been trained and got certified, they can choose to share their stories and if they are willing, they can use LPI Blog for that. It is desirable that they come back to LPI and demonstrate the value of the program. This is the way to keep the program sustainable and keep the financing in place.

We also offer co-promotion to participating Partners through our website, social media channels and newsletters. We encourage Partners and program participants to share their experiences on the LPI Blog which is globally read.

Special note to Partners: Pilot for this program started in 2020. Should you have any ideas for the improvement please write to the Program lead, Jasmina Jocic at employability@lpi.org or share your ideas with your PSM.

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Appendix

Appendix 1: List of the important details for the Partners’ web
page dedicated to the Program

As mentioned above, each Partner who participates in the Program, should have the web page with content dedicated to this Program. Here’s the suggested list of details for that page:

  • Basic info about the Program. Info is available in this Guidelines for Partners.
  • Eligibility Criteria for Candidates. The Guidelines for Partners offers the list of criteria, but the final eligibility criteria is created by the Partner.
  • Call for candidates, time sensitive. This part of the web page should list the opportunities for candidates and invite them to apply directly to Partner for the participation in the program.
  • Candidates’ data will be treated as confidential through the Program, and will be shared only with Linux Professional Institute for the purpose of assessing the user experience and the overall inputs for the improvement of the Program.
  • Each candidate who participates in the Program, must agree to the LPI Code of Conduct.
  • Each Candidate who participates in the Program will be contacted by LPI directly. It is assumed that they agree to that by participating in the Program, and it is confirmed by the Partner.

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Appendix 2. Scenarios for Partners’ participation

Scenario 1

Undersold class of LPIC and Partner has relationships with hiring partners and is part of the local Government Employment program, and has identified students in the local community.  They are suitable for this program.

This is an ideal case.

Scenario 2

Partner with a large community of disenfranchised individuals that would like to pursue careers in open source technology. This one isn’t suitable for this program.

Reasoning – it is not leveraging surplus capacity of our Partner and community. It would be better to look at general grants for focused projects for that community and their goals. This allows us to focus on unique aspects of the Partner’s project instead of trying to fit it into Employability, as most of these projects have a wider scope.

Scenario 3

Training Partner has a relationship with community organization with a focus on certain disenfranchised individuals and has undersold space in their class. This one is suitable for this program.

This proposal would need some remedial work by the Partner or LPI to identify some potential hiring partners and placements for candidates, and a way to decide which individuals/candidates can participate in the program.

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Appendix 3. FAQs

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Appendix 4. Example of the timelines for Partner’s and
candidates’ participation in the Program

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