Top five training opportunities for IT contractors

The advent of Artificial Intelligence is changing the way we work and, with it, the needs of IT teams across the UK, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises and Fortune 500 companies to major industries and government initiatives.

Posed by the AI revolution, here’s the conundrum facing IT workers…

On the one hand, this AI-led transformation is driving demand for highly specialised technology professionals who can attest their competence through industry-recognised certifications.

On the other, companies are looking for flexible technologists, who can quickly adapt their skills to a variety of projects, programmes and tech stacks.

Tech training courses: how to be agile but specialised

So, how can you achieve the best of both worlds?

How can you ensure you’re specialised but also agile, ready for any challenge that comes your way?

Before we delve any further, let me assure you that we are well-placed to answer these key questions, writes Bobby Armstrong of Firebrand Training.

Numbers, partners and never sitting still…

We specialise in accelerated training that helps you become competent, confident, and certified, at potentially twice the speed! Across the span of 23 years, we’ve trained more than 137,000 delegates around the world in highly sought-after specialisms such as

Cyber Security,
Governance,
Data Science,
Project Management, and more.

We also partner with top IT players, from Microsoft, ISC2, and CompTIA to Cisco, ISACA, EC-Council.

And we’re keen to constantly revise our tech training courses to ensure they feature the latest curriculum and exam prep, giving you what you need to succeed in IT -- today.

What are the top 5 training opportunities for IT contractors?

Well, keep in mind that due to the breakneck pace of technology, things change extremely rapidly! But right now the five top technology training opportunities we’d recommend Free-Work readers be aware of, are.

1. Project Management

In 2024, the range and scale of IT projects is expanding. And we don’t see this reversing in 2025.

So whether you have some initial experience in project management which you’re wondering if you should formalise, or are curious if becoming a PM would be wise, we can confirm that it’s a very buoyant area.

Location, location, location

However, the type of Project Management training to pursue mainly depends on the geographical area where you aim to work and your industry.

For example, if you're working in the United Kingdom or Europe, the industry-recognised PRINCE2® and PRINCE2 Agile® certifications are your best bet.

By contrast, for North America and the Middle East, you're better off investing in the PMI Project Management Professional (PMP®).

But it’s not just geography!

Methodology: are the best projects (for you) Waterfall, Agile or Scrum?

You also need to consider the methodology that would be most useful to you.

Research your industry -- do projects tend to be Waterfall, Agile, or Scrum? Is there a preference?

For example, Software Development projects will almost certainly be Agile, but IT projects specialising in an area such as healthcare could also be Waterfall.

If you’re not quite sure, the PMI PMP® may be your best bet, with PMI CAPM® as an alternative if you’re new to the profession.

Five modules stand between you and becoming a Project Management Professional

With more than one billion certified professionals around the world, the Project Management Institute's PMP certification takes you through five comprehensive modules, including:

team building;
leadership;
addressing risk;
managing conflict; and,
working with stakeholders.

2. IT Governance & Compliance

Governance and compliance may not sound like the most riveting topics, but in 2024 they continue to be in high demand!

This tangible demand for IT governance/compliance is being driven by the asymmetrical expansion of AI throughout the global workforce, and ongoing political tensions and alliances which impact organisations (and markets) worldwide.

The importance of developing a good working knowledge…

As an IT contractor who wants to specialise or train in governance and compliance, you should develop a good working knowledge of these geo-political issues through a business lens.

And again, geography matters!

For a successful IT governance and compliance career, you should be able to demonstrate a level of expertise appropriate to the geographical area you’re active in. Industry knowledge is similarly key.

How to develop a niche in governance and compliance

Governance and compliance contractors who make themselves indispensable, are often identifiable because they have the option to boost their income substantially, thanks to specialisation.

Three ‘hot’ IT Governance & Compliance specialisms include:

3. GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation

Ever since the EU adopted it eight years ago (2016), the GDRP has been unignorable for any company doing business with the European Union, as penalties for non-compliance are simply too high to turn a blind eye to.

Regardless of sector, any business with EU customers and/or EU branches needs to be on top of their GDRP obligations, which has driven demand for GDPR-certified professionals.

Training courses developed by ISO (the International Organization for Standardization), are particularly well-regarded.

Before committing yourself, though, research your prospective industry for the best ISO standards to achieve. You can see all of the most popular ISO standards we offer here.

- NIS2: The Network and Information Security Directive

Introduced two years ago by the EU Parliament, this Cyber Security law updates the EU’s original NIS Directive (NISD).

It applies to any organisation with more than 50 employees or €10 million in annual turnover which operates in a sector categorised as “essential and important.”

Whether you aim to gain foundational knowledge about this topic or would like to become an Implementer, ISO certifications are again well worth your while.

- DORA

DORA stands for the Digital Operational Resilience Act.

Focused on Fintech, DORA aims to strengthen the IT security of financial entities such as banks, insurance companies, and investment firms to ensure its protection against cyber-attacks, data breaches, and other operational disruptions.

Think of it as providing a digital safeguard to and for financial services.

This complex legislation, which lawyers have tried to demystify, covers:

ICT Risk Management,
Digital Operational Resilience Testing,
Information Sharing, and more.

As a regulation, DORA will become essential to financial businesses such as banks, insurers and many more operating in the EU, from January 17th 2025.

If you’re aiming for a career in this industry, you would be well-advised to look into this certification developed by PECB.

3. Cloud Computing

The UK is the largest cloud market in Europe, with 46% of UK businesses set to utilise multiple public clouds in the next one to three years compared to just 26% globally (according to Nutanix).

So, regardless of how you’ll be contracting in the UK tech sector, you’re bound to be exposed to the cloud sooner or later!

Top three cloud certifications

If you’re looking to understand the cloud environment to collaborate across teams or gain an enhanced perspective on your work, we recommend taking industry-recognised foundation-level certifications such as:

CompTIA Cloud Essentials+, a vendor-neutral certification applicable to any platform that teaches you the updated basics of cloud,
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, also known as AZ-900, which exposes zones in on cloud technology in Microsoft environments, and;
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, which teaches you the fundamentals of the most widely-used cloud platform in the world.

4. Cyber Security

Similar to Compliance (section 3 above), Cyber Security is a highly specialised area where being able to attest your knowledge can pay dividends, establishing you as a credible, long-term business partner.

There are many fascinating topics in Cyber Security; ranging from the Information Security and Data Protection angle that dovetails with GDPR and NIS2, to risk-assessing, auditing, tackling, and managing actual cyber security attacks.

IT Security: what’s a good first training course?

CompTIA Security+ is an excellent starting point, as this comprehensive certification takes you through general Cyber Security concepts, threats, vulnerabilities, Cyber Security Operations, and more.

Security+ is also vendor-neutral, which means you can apply it to a variety of IT contexts. It also enables you to achieve an official certification recognised worldwide.

5. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Finally, let’s end where I started, the technology on everyone’s mind -- AI.

Whether you’re integrating AI in specialised projects such as development or architecture or just want to gain an informed perspective on this fascinating technology, Artificial Intelligence training can help you understand key terminology and the direction that this seminal industry is headed.

What tech industry names offer Artificial Intelligence training?

For this reason, it’s no surprise that the top names in IT training launched AI fundamentals courses this year.

Among those, we vouch for the Essentials Certificate in Artificial Intelligence by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, and Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals from ISACA.

These two courses are designed to help professionals in non-technical roles understand the capabilities of AI, establish a common language with tech teams, and harness this potential to grow their business.

On the technical side, Microsoft has developed several specialised certification courses that may be helpful on your journey, from Crafting effective prompts for Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 to Microsoft Applied Skills courses on Azure AI, Power Apps, and more.

Finally, what’s hot in tech training today may be cold by tomorrow…

Because of our track record, we’re very fortunate to have a comprehensive vantage point across IT industry trends. But like you, we cannot sit still! So keep in mind -- today’s ‘top’ 5 tech training opportunities won’t always be tomorrow’s ‘top 5’ tech training opportunities simply due to the rapid advancement of technology, and the evolving needs of companies and organisations.

While the market is therefore unpredictable, investing your time and resources in achieving certain IT training courses and certifications can be invaluable in helping you futureproof your technology career, on a full-time or contract basis.

Top 5 training opportunities for IT contractors