FOSS 'Train the Trainers' courses

Type: Training Course
Target Group: IT Trainers in the ASEAN region
Countries: Thailand + Philippines
Timeframe: August – October 2006, Second Course: December 2006
Partners: IOSN, IOSN ASEAN+3

During August - October 2006, InWEnt, APDIP, the IOSN Secretariat and IOSN ASEAN+3 jointly organize two regional training courses for FOSS trainers and examination proctors in Thailand and the Philippines. The objective of the courses is to develop training capacities in the ASEAN+3 region to provide high-quality and low-cost FOSS training, as well as certified LPI (Linux Professional Institute) examinations.

The two-week intensive courses introduce trainers to open content GNU/Linux system administration training materials and low-cost LPI certification examinations. Trainers sit for an LPI Level 1 examination after a 10-day training course. In conjunction with this, an LPI proctor trainer provides training and certification for local proctors to conduct LPI examinations. Once certified, these independent proctors are able to administer low-cost paper-based LPI examinations for local organizations in their respective countries.

With these training courses, InWEnt, APDIP and IOSN aim to open up the market for multiple providers of FOSS GNU/Linux solutions. With using open content training materials and low-cost examinations, trainings can be offered at an affordable rate. The trained proctors can even provide examinations independent of how individuals seeking to get certified have acquired their training, e.g. by self-study.

So far, most ICT skills training and certification programs in the ASEAN region have been vendor driven with the certification process designed as a revenue earner for the vendor. The process of training, materials and examination has usually been done at training centers. In addition to indirect costs of vendor lock-in, this combination has resulted in prohibitively high costs of training and certification for developing countries with training program fees costing as much as USD 1,000 or more per trainee. With the open content materials and examinations introduced with the InWEnt/APDIP/IOSN courses, training and certification costs per person can be provided at USD 100 or less.

A major barrier against adoption and deployment of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in developing of countries in the Asia Pacific is the lack of human resources with FOSS skills. The introductory courses offered by InWEnt/APDIP/IOSN enable and encourage IT trainers to in turn train other trainers in their countries at an affordable rate - and therefore aim to kick-start self-sustaining development of FOSS human resources.

Links to the Course Details

Linux Training of Trainers in Bangkok/Thailand
28th August - 9th September 2006
Target group are trainers or future trainers from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia.

Linux Training of Trainers in Manila/Philippines
9 – 21 October 2006

Second Linux Training of Trainers Philippines
4 - 15 December 2006