Is IT certification worth it?

While employers may be concerned that IT certification is obsolete in a technological landscape dictated by change, one expert has explained how its value lies not only in its technical accreditation but also in how processes are embedded into workplace infrastructure.

As organisations seek to upskill existing staff to maintain competitiveness and productivity, latest findings suggest IT certification counts for more than simply ticking a box and, in fact, is a signifier of innovation and future readiness.

Data from Pearson’s 2026 Value of IT Certification Employer Report found that 93 per cent of organisations globally report positive ROIs at more than half again the rate of those that don’t, more successfully attract top talent, and maintain overall competitiveness.

According to Pearson Australia country head Taha Haidermota, the gap between organisations requiring and not requiring certification is widening, with significant implications for project delivery, retention, and contract procurement from businesses that require proof of capability.

He said: “As AI reshapes what ‘qualified’ means faster than most training cycles can keep up with, organisations that haven’t built certification into their talent strategy aren’t just missing a training line item, they’re falling behind on the metrics that actually determine competitiveness.”

At the same time, 88 per cent of leaders agree that certification will matter more in three to five years, reinforcing that, besides any technical capability, credentials hold a further, intangible value among organisations.

In this way, Haidermota said: “It’s less a mandate and more about infrastructure: the organisations getting the most value are the ones building certification into hiring, promotion and performance review as a matter of course, not treating it as optional extra-curricular development.”

As the certification landscape makes efforts to catch up to the dynamic world of AI, so do employees, with AI and machine learning remaining the biggest skills gap, reported by 76 per cent of organisations

Similarly, interest in AI certification has doubled since 2022 which, according to Haidermota validates the need for both “the technical skill of working with AI tools, and the complementary human skills, including critical thinking, judgement, problem solving”.

This sentiment aligns with ongoing coverage into the value of workplace models where AI and human capabilities work in conjunction for positive, and more sustainable, outcomes.

With the average positive return per certified employee coming to approximately US$17,500, Haidermota surmised that organisations are “putting a number on what certified skill is worth to them”.

However, he explained that many managers are still treating certification as a cost centre, assuming certification is for junior staff, or treating it as a one-off achievement – to which he said the data backs IT certification as a meaningful proxy, but not a replacement for experience.

Haidermota said: “The organisations seeing the strongest results are building tiered frameworks that run from foundational credentials at entry level right through to advanced certification for senior staff, tied to promotion and performance criteria.”

Similarly, as ongoing coverage has revealed, future-proofing organisations and employment capabilities depend on upskilling the existing workforce.

“Where employers go wrong most often is defaulting to hiring to fill a skills gap when the data shows upskilling the existing workforce, with certification as the leading investment, is both the more common and more effective response,” Haidermota said.

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