In the last two decades, everyone that works around technology (Research & Design), Integration and Development, Implementation, etc. Are aware of the continuous growing of opportunities and particularly everything related to the Internet (IoT, BYOD, Cybersecurity, Data Centers, Data Mining, Analytics, Cloud Services...and digitization...

There's no doubt of the lack of well trained people in the IT field to achieve the goal of filling every market need.

You touch wisely, the lack of instructors, and the disadvantage in the Latin American Region, but let me tell you a short story.

In the 1st of February of 2002, was the official Opening Celebration of the Aspira/Cisco Regional Networking Academy in Puerto Rico, with the presence at that time of Mr. Luis Eliecer Cadenas Program Manager of the Cisco Networking Academy, Central America Region, North of South America and the Caribbean. But before that, we opened in December 15 of 1999 our first CCNA Course.

I was one of the four instructors at that time, reaching later the position of Instructor/Supervisor and Academy Coordinator until 2009.

We also opened local Cisco Academies among a few Universities, and the majority of our customers were from private businesses as: Elly Lilly, Bristol and Myers, Wyet, Smithkline and Beecham, Puerto Rican Telephone Co., Verizon, Claro, to name a few...

I had a rate of 20 students per (Morning - Evening and Saturday Class) in a 24 weeks class schedule, here in Puerto Rico, all the Cisco's Certification Paths were always welcome, but the board of directors decided to close the Cisco Academy to become a Technical College under the Education Department Program...

I have with me a lot of email, where my past graduated students ask me to open a new facility, I had invested $20,000.00 in two Windows Server 2010 with 10 thin clients, for two 10 students per class, I had the budget for 20 Cisco Bundles that includes a CCNA, and a CCNA VoIP, CCNA - Security, but I got not the local academy permission from the Regional, and Government Management Bureaucracy...

At last, I throw away time, money, my students' expectations...

I bring you this short story, to add that even if we have the people to train, instructors well prepared with experience and proved results, willing to invest, that's another problem we have to face and many in the near by region wants to listen...

Thank you for sharing an excellent article, that I agree 100% with the lack of ITs and a growing diversified market, with so great expectations. My respects.