LPI partners InWent-FOSSFA on capacity building

The Sacramento, United States-based Linux Professional Institute (LPI) is partnering German-based InWent Capacity Building International and Free and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA) to conduct dual promotional examinations for the Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) in the African community.

President and chief executive officer, Linux Professional Institute, Mr. Jim Lacey, said that the capacity building programme is two-phased as the first part would hold next week Saturday at the Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya, while the last part has been slated for February 2011 in South Africa.

These exam labs, he said, are part of a larger ‘train-the-trainers’ programme jointly sponsored by FOSSFA and InWent Capacity Building International of Germany.

Selected participants, ITRealms Online gathered have been nominated from about six countries across the continent, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Africa.“We are pleased to assist FOSSFA in their efforts to develop skilled trainers in the professional use of Linux. In particular, we applaud their efforts to recruit potential trainers within academic institutions, government agencies, small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs),” he said.

Lacey also said that these types of enterprises recognize the value in adopting Free and Open Source software and have the opportunity of becoming leaders in Linux training in their respective countries and business sectors.

Also speaking, FOSS Certification Manager, ict@innovation, FOSSFA, Mr. Evans Ikua, noted that ict@innovation, which is a FOSSFA project is excited to be partnering with the LPI to help increase the number of qualified and certified Linux engineers and system administrators on the continent.

“This partnership will go a long way in enhancing the promotion and use of FOSS solutions which will in effect lead to a wider adoption of FOSS,” he said, stressing that they believe this training would have a positive impact in the development of the Information Technology (IT) industry in the participating countries.

“We are looking at a much longer term engagement with the LPI,” Ikua declared, adding that registration for the exam labs in both Kenya and South Africa are open to all interested individuals and can be made in advance at LPI event site.

The Linux Professional Institute is globally supported by the IT industry, enterprise customers, community professionals, government entities and the educational community.

LPI’s certification program is supported by an affiliate network spanning five continents and is distributed worldwide in multiple languages at more than 7,000 testing locations. Since 1999, LPI has delivered over 270,000 exams and 90,000 LPIC certifications around the world.

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