NetApp Talent Program - Partners

We transform talented graduates into certified and highly qualified NetApp experts for your company!

The NetApp Talent Program aims to recruit and qualify certified NetApp specialists for the channel. It is important to understand that we are not offering a simple training program, we are offering an educated person within only three months. This means that we are responsible for identifying, evaluating, educating, coaching, mentoring, certifying, and if needed replacing a candidate so that you as our customer can be sure that your investment will get you the educated and certified person(s) you are looking for.

Our NetApp Talent Program is a full-service program. Beyond intensive workshops, we also offer further services to ensure optimum learning success:

• Deep-dive, pre-class resources and recommended reading
• Intensive, one-to-one mentoring
• Extended lab hours for personal practice and mentoring sessions
• Post-class test preparation, assessments and quizzes
• Certification tests with reviews and re-testing
• Reporting & monitoring

Graduates of this program have the skills to design, install, configure, manage, and troubleshoot the following products and solutions:

• NetApp storage solutions using NetApp Data ONTAP 8 / 7Mode including detailed knowledge about CIFS, NFS and SAN
• NetApp Fibre Channel and iSCSI SAN solutions and integrating different operating systems and applications like Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle
• NetApp backup and disaster recovery solutions
• Multi-vendor solutions
  • FlexPod data center solutions (Shared Infrastructure) using the FlexPod validated design
  • Microsoft cloud computing solutions
  • VMware server virtualization solutions with VMware vSphere
  • Cisco unified computing solutions (B-Series and C-Series)

NetApp Talent Program Overview pdf

Recruitment

Our recruiters are constantly looking for suitable candidates. If we find that a candidate fits our program and your company, we will introduce this individual to you. You can then arrange an interview to get to know this screened and preselected candidate in person.

If a NetApp Partner preselects a candidate, this individual qualifies for our evaluation class. In the course of an intensive 2-day class, our specialists assess the candidates' technical and communication skills as well as their commitment to the program.

Once candidates have successfully completed the evaluation phase, a partner can select and hire the candidate, who is now qualified to take part in the corresponding three-month training program. The candidate gets a temporary contract for the duration of the training program. The contract guarantees permanent employment once candidates have successfully completed the program.

During the training program, the new employers receive regular reports providing details on their new specialists’ progress and earned certifications.

Training Program

Fast Lane conducts training in several blocks to ensure candidates are well prepared for their future job assignments.

Over the course of three months, candidates will work with self-study materials, receive additional mentoring, and participate in intensive workshops.

Level 0
Evaluation Class, 2 Days

• Welcome Package
• Technical Foundation Review
• One-to-One and Online Assessments

Level 1
ASAP, NCDA & HOIW Power Workshops, 3 Weeks

• NetApp Accredited Storage Architect Program (ASAP – trained by NetApp)
• NetApp Basics & Advanced Concepts (Data ONTAP 8.1 7-Mode)
• NetApp Data ONTAP CIFS, NFS & SAN Administration
• NetApp Hands-on Installation Workshop

Level 2
NCIE SAN / NCIE Backup & Recovery Power Workshops, 2 Weeks

• SAN Solutions with NetApp Storage Systems
• Clustered ONTAP Overview
• SAN Scaling & Architecting
• Snapshot, SnapRestore, SnapVault, Open Systems SnapVault and SnapMirror Software
• SnapProtect Solution

Level 3
Cloud & Virtualization Solutions, 2 Weeks

• Cloud Technologies
• VMware vSphere Installation, Configuration & Troubleshooting
• Microsoft Cloud Computing Solutions with Hyper-V
• Designing & Implementing Virtualization Solutions on NetApp Storage

Level 4
Unified Computing & FlexPod Power Workshops, 3 Weeks

• Cisco Unified Computing Design & Implementation for FlexPod
• NetApp FlexPod Architecture & Design
• NetApp FlexPod Implementation with Secure Multi-Tenancy

Multi-vendor Certifications

All NetApp Talent Program graduates will have achieved the following certifications:

• Cisco Data Center Unified Computing Support Specialist
• Cisco Data Center Unified Computing Design Specialist
• VCP - VMware Certified Professional
• NCIE-Backup & Recovery - NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer
• NCIE-SAN - NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer
• NCDA - NetApp Certified Data Management Administrator
• NAIP - NetApp Accredited Installation Professional
• ASAP - NetApp Accredited Storage Architect Professional

References

The NetApp Talent Program was developed on the basis of Fast Lane’s Data Center Talent Program. Several Cisco Partners have already recruited their data center specialists very successfully.

“It takes a comprehensive skill-set to master the demands and complexity in a data center, and the Data Center Talent program provides the perfect coverage. The experts trained by Fast Lane help roll out projects faster and with greater quality. This means we are able to achieve and maximize the targeted results, which enhances customer satisfaction and retention.”

Michael Sterker, Business Architect, Bechtle GmbH & Co. KG

“Computacenter needs data center and networking engineering service specialists to set up private clouds. They have to be able to integrate complex solutions from different vendors into customers’ infrastructures to standardize, virtualize and automate their data centers. The qualification initiative launched by Fast Lane and Cisco - the Data Center Talent program - enables us to train five new ambitious and motivated colleagues to become top specialists for dynamic data centers within just six months. This is how we keep the quality of projects up to standard.”

Michael May, National Leader Datacenter Engineering, Computacenter AG & Co. oHG
Michael Chrobok, National Leader Networking Engineering, Computacenter AG & Co. oHG

“Within half a year, Fast Lane's team of trainers was able to coach our data center crew to all the Cisco, NetApp, and VMware certifications that we need to get the job done at the customer’s. The decisive factors for this success were, among others, the state-of-the-art, high-end labs that are always available and the special supplementary Fast Lane lab exercises.“

Stojan Jarak, Member of the Board, Alliances Manager CISCO Partnership, COMLINE AG

“The idea behind Fast Lane’s Data Center Talent Program had us convinced right from the start. We were able to steadily develop the solutioneering skills we need for customer projects such as operating data centers and setting up private cloud infrastructures. Fast Lane provided the full package encompassing recruitment, training and comprehensive certifications, and even guaranteed it! We hired two new employees via this qualification initiative. Both achieved best scores to earn 13 different Cisco, NetApp and VMware certifications during this six-month program. Our European colleagues are already looking forward to the forthcoming European rollout of the Data Center Talent Program!“

Sven Heinsen, Director Solutions & Professional Services, Dimension Data Germany AG & Co. KG

Feedback of Data Center Talent Program Participants

“The many high-quality certifications to be earned are definitely among the most important highlights. They provide a big boost to one’s self-esteem, particularly for young participants, and they afford you incredible opportunities in today’s job market. These were the main reasons why I chose to take part in the Data Center Talent program rather than pursuing a master’s degree after earning my diploma.”

“The Data Center Talent program offers a unique, fast-tracked opportunity to get acquainted with a multi-vendor data center environment.”

“The coaches are all highly qualified, experienced, and can immediately provide an authoritative, easily understood answer to almost every question. They know what the customer’s focus is, and they get the message across.”

“All Fast Lane coaches that I got to know during training are real gurus! The labs are also very good.“

“The program provides all the preparation I need for the work I will later do in data center consulting. The certifications afford you many opportunities in the networking/ data center environment. It enables you to put theoretical knowledge into practice and set the cornerstone for a good career.”

“I found an interesting and challenging job as a DC engineer in Switzerland. The focus is on projects involving NetApp storage, Cisco MDS, Cisco Nexus, Cisco UCS and VMware. I expect to steadily increase my knowledge and earn further certifications to attain a good professional position. I have created a good basis for this by taking part in the program. One of my next objectives is to become a CCIE Data Center.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the selection process work in detail?

• Partners will receive CVs of suitable candidates and can pre-select a number of candidates. Partners should perform an interview via phone or video in order to make sure that candidate(s) would be suitable.
• Selected candidates receive the self study material and take the evaluation class - once candidates have passed the evaluation class, a final interview may be performed by partner and as a result, one ore more candidates will be hired by partner (temporary contract).

What happens with candidates that pass the evaluation class but are not hired by any partner?

• This should not happen because we allow only pre-selected candidates to enter the evaluation class. In those very rare cases where this would be the case, we will charge the partner a 10% cancellation fee but will allow the partner to select another candidate.

What kind of recruitment services are included?

• The program includes the pre-selection of candidates, presenting suitable candidates to partners, and performing the final evaluation of candidates.
• Costs for personal interviews (for example travel costs) are not included, this needs to be arranged between partner and candidate.

What happens if a candidate fails to complete the program?

• There is one additional check after 2 weeks. Candidates that are in really bad shape at this point in time will be asked to leave the program and the partner may select one more candidate free of charge.
• Once candidates are past this point, they will not fail; the program provides enough time for one to one mentoring as well as various retries.

What happens if a candidate leaves the program?

• This is something Fast Lane can't take responsibility for and needs to be part of the contract between the partner and the candidate.

What are the terms of payment?

• 50% once partner orders one or more seats
• 30% once candidate has been hired by partner
• 20% after candidate achieved NCDA certification

Can partners bring their own candidates?

• Yes, but they will still have to pass the evaluation class. If partners bring their own candidates, the total cost of the program is reduced.