It is BlakYaks' third anniversary this month and as a growing organisation, one of the primary challenges we've encountered as we scale the business is the shortage of cloud native expertise in the market (including IaC, Terraform, Kubernetes). The scarcity of “ready-made” cloud native consultants and engineers, coupled with our core belief in the importance of personal development, led us to launch our BlakYaks Technical Academy, affectionately nicknamed 'Yakademy'.

The Yakademy serves as the cornerstone of our organisational growth, nurturing the skills and expertise that are critical to our ongoing success. By investing in the continuous training and development of our team members, we ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge and capabilities needed to deliver exceptional service to our clients.

The Yakademy's comprehensive training programs not only provide our staff with the necessary certifications but also instil in them a deep understanding of cloud native services and best practices. Therefore, the Yakademy represents more than just a training program; it reflects the collaborative spirit within BlakYaks and it embodies a comprehensive approach to cultivating skills and knowledge within our team by fostering an environment of continuous growth and development.

Collaboration, a key pillar at BlakYaks

We believe in the power of experiential learning and through ongoing training sessions, workshops, and collaborative projects, we ensure that our team remains at the forefront of innovation and expertise.

To achieve this, we pair our budding professionals with seasoned members from both our SpecOps (managed services) and Professional Services (consultancy) teams. For experienced team members, it serves as a platform for honing their skills and staying abreast of the latest advancements in the industry. For new recruits, it serves as a launching pad into the world of cloud native services as they undergo a rigorous training regime covering a broad set of certifications, laying a solid foundation for their journey ahead:

• AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals)

• AZ-104 & AZ-400 (DevOps)

• Terraform (Infrastructure as Code)

• Ansible (Automation)

This mentorship not only imparts invaluable insights but also accelerates the learning curve, ensuring that all our team members are well-prepared to tackle real-world challenges with confidence. As our team members grow and evolve through the Yakademy, they become the driving force behind our company's success, and it is this expertise and proficiency that enable us to meet the ever-changing demands of our customers and stay ahead of the competition.

In conclusion, the Yakademy initiative has been a real “win-win” for our business and a constant source of new energy and innovation. We are providing exciting employment opportunities for university graduates and developing our own pipeline of cloud native talent and future consultants.