CNCF-hosted Co-located Events North America 2024

Training is increasingly important to tech workers (as shown in the 2023 State of Tech Talent Report). Still, many employees, especially those starting, struggle due to a lack of necessary resources and difficulty finding a mentor. In addition to the time dedicated to their continued education, tech workers need community. They can find immense value in looking outside of their organization and joining a professional learning community. We aim to provide that evidence in this talk and stories from the community. In this talk, we will identify the top five elements of success for those who have joined a professional learning community and provide anecdotal evidence of successful outcomes. These topics include support and mentorship, interactivity of learning resources, learning relative to the job market, focusing on real-world projects and current industry challenges rather than outdated skills, and validating through certification.