What the next generation of cloud engineers expect from training

Cloud computing training is evolving. But does it chime with the expectations of Gen Z cloud engineers? Let's find out.



If you're reading this article, you're bringing to it a whole host of knowledge, experience and assumptions. Some of these will be unique to your background, education and career paths. But others you'll share with people from your generational cohort.

Boomers, millennials and Gen Z all have their distinctive ways of doing things. It's not clear-cut, of course. For every tech-shy baby boomer, there's an enthusiastic adopter of new technologies. And for every up-to-the-minute Gen Z-er, there's an old soul in new clothes.

Nevertheless, generalisations about the generations are both pertinent and useful when deciding how to train your staff.

There's a simple reason for this. Each generation has grown up with different technologies. These impacted far more than just how you spend your downtime. It also impacts the way you were educated.

Someone born in the 1940s was schooled with pens, paper, blackboards and chalk. Over the decades, these were blended more and more with screens of all kinds and, as time went on, online portals and smart devices.

These formative technological experiences feed into your expectations of training. If you grew up with smartphones, for example, you'll likely find old-school DVD-based training a slog.

This matters because cloud-first organisations should always look forward. The priority is to train the next generation of cloud engineers to ensure you keep on top of all the ever-changing advances in cloud tech.

So, you might as well make it easy for yourself by providing training that suits Gen Z learning styles. That way, you're more likely to have engaged, satisfied and informed trainees.

But what are Gen Z learning styles, exactly – and how do they differ from the generations that went before? Let's find out.

What characterises Gen Z learning styles?

Gen Z didn't invent the smartphone. But they adopted them earlier in life than millennials and the generations preceding them. This affects their learning style, preferred media, content size and even the way they think about their career paths.

Gen Z is used to a style of education that's blended, self-paced, independent and hands-on. Broadly speaking, they expect practice over theory and working at their own pace over regimented scheduling.

As digital natives, they expect laptops, web-based learning, apps and plenty of video content. Some embrace virtual reality, augmented reality and assisted reality headsets.

This isn't to push the cliche that someone born after 2000 wouldn't know a book if it landed in their hands. Quite the contrary. It's simply to say that where career-based learning is concerned, a blend of technologies is essential.

When planning your training, it's important to consider the size of the content, too. Again, we're not pushing myths or generalisations. Gen Z doesn't have the attention span of a woozy goldfish. But they are more used to bite-sized learning than previous generations.

Then there are expectations about how students interact with one another. People are collaborative, and no technological shift is going to take that away. Nevertheless, Gen Z learners are more used to individualised and personalised learning than their predecessors.

Finally, there's the way that training relates to career growth. Boomers and millennials typically see training as a path to career advancement. Gen Z, by comparison, tends to want to see an immediate application of their training.

These are the ways in which Gen Z's learning style differs from previous generations. Has cloud computing training kept in step?

How has cloud computing training changed?

Cloud computing is a rapidly changing field. So, it's no surprise that cloud computing training has also changed substantially over recent years.

Perhaps most importantly, training has moved from classroom-based and theory-based learning to hands-on experience using virtual labs and sandboxes. In these cloud-based simulators, students can safely explore real-world scenarios.

The rate of change has also meant that training now tends to be continuous rather than one-off. New areas of expertise, such as infrastructure-as-code, DevOps and complex cloud environments, need to be kept on top of.

Another recent change is the increase in specialised, role-based training. More and more courses are available to enable students to fill a particular post, whether that's cloud architect, data engineer, security specialist or something else.

As in all areas of education, AI is on the scene. Training programmes are incorporating AI more and more to help professionals crack their cloud environments.

And finally, training these days is cheaper, more accessible and more flexible than ever before. This has removed barriers to access, ensuring students can realise their potential regardless of geography.

Does today's cloud computing training chime with Gen Z expectations?

Mapping the wide world of cloud computing training onto the wide world of Gen Z expectations isn't easy and requires a certain amount of generalisation. However, it's fair to say that on the whole, today's training programmes are what the next generation of cloud engineers both wants and expects.

This is partly because of the emphasis in today's training on active and hands-on learning. Cloud computing is practical, not theoretical. This chimes with Gen Z's desire to participate in real-world projects rather than master theory in a vacuum.

Today's cloud computing training also chimes with Gen Z expectations because it focuses on digital tools and video content rather than traditional lectures and analogue learning.

It also provides immediate and tangible results, getting them ready for specific roles rather than asking them to invest in a nebulous career future.

And finally, it encourages personalised, flexible and self-directed learning paths. This chimes with their experience of school and university and allows them to balance training with other life commitments.

Are you looking for high-quality lab hosting services for VMware education delivery partner courses? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today to find out how we can help you bring your learning to life and train the next generation of cloud engineers.