A recurring trend in the 2017 Cybersecurity Trends Report was a lack of skilled employees. According to the study, 54% of organizations plan to train and/or certify their current IT staff to create a better security posture.
Is certification and training a priority for your organization?
I find that it depends a lot on management within the organization. I was recently able to get training through my companies tuition reimbursement program called TAP. Sometimes exploring different options for training is a good way to find new opportunities.
Yes, and No.
The short answer is yes. The long answer is always more complicated. The company places the certifications as a priority because they have government contracts, which require that those employees working the contract have acceptable certifications if working in the IT Field as required by DOD Directive 8140.01 and DOD Manual 8570.01-M.
However, while my company is willing to help offset costs for renewing certifications or when required paying for the testing. They don't exactly cooperate when it comes to maintaining the CPE requirements. Some certifications it is easier than others, and some allow the same types of routine training while others don't. Trying to meet the CPE requirements while working a 40+hour work week and having a family life is often very complicated if not allowed to accomplish a certain amount of training hours a week. Also, they don't support any funding requirement to help with CPE costs, like attending seminars or other offsite training.
In the end, some of the companies I have worked with, they know they have to keep me certified because the Government says they do, but they will fight tooth and nail to avoid having to make it happen. My current employer is easier to work with, albeit, they still try to push off as much as they can, often causing me to be struggling to meet the timelines.