The evolution of Red Hat partner skill validation

After introducing expanded enablement offerings for partners in 2022, our commitment to the Red Hat partner ecosystem continues today with the launch of an updated framework for skills validation with Red Hat Credentials and Certifications.

This updated framework will help our partners more easily validate critical sales, technical, and delivery skills, while better aligning with key business outcomes, as they progress towards certification through the Red Hat Partner Training Portal.

What is new? 

Based on feedback from our global network of partners, these updates are designed to empower Red Hat partners with the tools and resources they need to increase sales, improve customer experiences, and better deliver Red Hat-related services.

This is achieved through 2 key developments: 

• Red Hat Accreditations have been replaced by Red Hat Credentials and Certifications as the required skill validation mechanism in the Partner Training Portal. This creates more streamlined, clearly defined learning pathways and certification opportunities for partners elevating their sales and technical knowledge.
• Partners now have access to new skills development programming and resources, and the expanded enablement offerings built to support them, including the same learning materials used by Red Hat’s internal sales teams.

Previous accreditations will now be optimized as credentials and certifications as such:

• Seller credentials. New seller credentials have replaced sales accreditations. Upon completion, partner associates will be able to explain to clients how the Red Hat portfolio addresses customer challenges, provides value, and addresses pain points.
• Technical seller credentials. New technical seller credentials have replaced sales engineer accreditations. Upon completion, partner associates will understand the technical capabilities of Red Hat products for standard use cases, and be able to explain to clients how they address their challenges.
• Red Hat Certifications for technical roles. Red Hat Certifications have replaced delivery accreditations. Available to partners through a fee-based exam, upon completion, partner associates will understand complex solution design, with highly targeted alignment of our technology to a customer's needs. 

Any partners with in-progress accreditations as of September 12, 2023, will be given a grace period to complete the learning paths. Specific cut off dates can be found in the FAQ, available via Red Hat Content Center. Any accreditations earned prior to September 12, 2023, or during the grace period, will remain valid for the full 2 years from completion date and remain valid for partner contract compliance. 

How it works

Partner associates who are in sales and technical sales roles can now receive digital badges for Red Hat Credentials after completing core learning paths and associated self-paced assessments, all available at no cost through the Partner Training Portal.  

Partner associates who are in technical roles can validate their skills with our industry recognized Red Hat Certifications. Red Hat Training courses are available in a self-paced online format at no additional cost to partners,  better positioning the ecosystem to accelerate skills development and achieve Red Hat Certification. Red Hat Certification is earned by completing a proctored Red Hat Exam, available for purchase at a partner-exclusive, discounted rate.

You can find further details and key distinctions in the table below. 

Showcasing your skills

Red Hat skills are recognized and valued around the world as an industry standard in assessing competencies related to open hybrid cloud. Partners who want to showcase their Red Hat skills will now be able to with verified digital badges.

Upon earning skills through the Red Hat Partner Training Portal, partners can use Credly to collect and manage their digital badges. Credly is an end-to-end platform for issuing and managing digital badges and downloadable certificates. It provides a secure means of storage, transport, and credential publishing that adds a layer of protection against falsely claimed credentials.

How can I get started?

Log in to Red Hat Partner Connect and access the Red Hat Partner Training Portal to explore how this updated framework can help you increase sales, improve customer experiences, and better deliver Red Hat-related services.