Training Galicia for the Future with LPI: the CNTG Success

The Centro de Nuevas Tecnologías de Galicia (Center for New Technologies of Galicia or CNTG), a public institution under the Department of Employment of the Galician government, has become a key reference point for advanced technology training in the region. Each year, the center works closely with the local IT industry to identify the skills most in demand and to design programs that help citizens, whether employed or unemployed, gain meaningful, industry-recognized qualifications.

In this interview, the CNTG team reflects on the challenges that brought them closer to free software and to the Linux Professional Institute, the role of vendor-neutral certifications, and the impact that LPI programs have had on the employability and professional development of students in Galicia.

What specific public challenge brought you closer to free software and LPI?

The Center’s mission is to train Galician citizens, both employed and unemployed, in advanced technological skills through educational programs that allow them to obtain official technical certifications.

To identify which technological skills are required by the Galician productive sectors, and in particular by the IT sector, the Center carries out an annual analysis in collaboration with the regional IT industry.

Among the qualifications and competencies that the Galician tech sector considers essential is mastery of various components of Linux-based systems, which are present across all areas of society.

For this reason, we decided to include training programs that would provide citizens with the relevant competencies recognized by the industry. Programs had to meet standards both in terms of the quality of the training and the accreditation of the participants’ skills. The products and certifications of the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) fully meet these criteria.

What advantages do you find in vendor-neutral certifications compared to vendor-specific ones?

The center’s curriculum includes both product-specific and technology-based certifications. Each serves different purposes.

Product certifications focus on the functions and specific features of a particular IT solution.

Technology certifications focus on the foundational knowledge that supports an entire class of technologies across multiple products.

From this perspective, technology-based training and certifications can be considered more fundamental and comprehensive. They enable students to demonstrate mastery of core principles that apply across many products built on that technology. This provides a broader educational framework and a greater impact on the employability and performance of professionals who obtain such certifications.

What impact has LPI certification had on the employability of local talent?

In general, about 50 percent of the students who complete their training go on to take the associated certification exams, and approximately 85 percent of them pass within six months of completing their course.

These figures clearly reflect the usefulness of official LPI-aligned training in developing the required competencies.

A significant percentage— around 25 percent—of unemployed participants and currently employed workers who complete the training report finding a job or improving their working conditions after earning the certification.

Therefore, LPI certifications have a direct impact on the employability and career advancement of professionals in Galicia who obtain them through the center.

Which partnerships were key to amplifying the impact?

Two main groups have been essential to the success of this process:

• Training companies and their official trainers
• Galician tech companies that recognize the value of certification

Regarding the first group, the center prioritizes excellence when selecting both its training partners and the trainers who deliver the courses. This is a key factor in ensuring high-quality learning outcomes, strong student engagement, and integration into the broader Linux ecosystem. As a result, the center now has a community of well-trained professionals who continue to seek new training opportunities in this field.

What should a public institution do tomorrow if it is considering joining LPI, as the Centro de Nuevas Tecnologías de Galicia did?

Following the same principles mentioned earlier, such an institution should:

• Verify that local industries are demanding this type of training.Identify which training programs and certifications are recognized by those industries.

Once both elements are confirmed, identify which training partners and trainers provide high-quality, reputable programs.

Finally, ensure effective communication about the benefits of such training, directing these communications to interested professionals, and design the learning and certification process carefully to create a strong link between students and the offered training.