Instruqt the Challenge-Driven IT Learning Platform

Organizations worldwide face upskilling challenges when transitioning to all things digital. Undeniably they are investing in learning. According to Gartner, in 2018, organizations spent $366 billion globally on training. But is the approach taken and instruments used effective for transferring knowledge and boosting innovation? As Confucius once said: "I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand,". Incorporating hands-on activities in learning improves retention and understanding.

Instruqt is an online IT learning platform. We help organizations accelerate the adoption of new technologies. Our superpower? Hands-on challenge-driven learning with real tools like GIT, Kubernetes, Jenkins, Docker and Python. We use gamification, micro-learning to propel an interactive learning engagement for  IT professionals. With this cost-effective learning solution, we empower the individuals to drive the transformation that matters and we help prepare the workforce for the future of work.

By 2022, no less than 54% of all employees will require significant re- and upskilling. (Future of Jobs Report, WEF). In many traditional organizations, digital transformations are happening. Whether it’s a migration to the cloud, adopting data science, or transforming into a DevOps organization, everyone is facing the same problem, i.e., closing the skills gap, adopting new technologies and concepts.

Upskilling comes with a few challenges, including motivating the workforce to hit the restart button and dealing with changes that affect the entire organization. It will help if they have a scalable solution because they cannot afford to send everyone to classroom training. For example, if an organization is migrating to the cloud, the IT team needs to know how to operate and properly secure a cloud environment.

At Instruqt, we are on a mission to change the face of learning and accelerate workforce upskilling with our scalable and cost-effective learning solutions. We’ve put together an online modern, learn by doing, challenge-driven gamification platform. We offer IT pros to learn with real challenges based on real-life scenarios during their transformation journeys. Our solution offers a scalable learning model for organization-wide transformations.

We interviewed 300+ developers in 2019 at KubeCon Barcelona. 90% indicated that they want or need to learn more to do their job effectively, and 60% estimated their skills would be insufficient in 12 months. The pace of innovation is ever increasing; new tech & tools are created daily. Traditional learning cannot keep up with digital transformation. Learning needs to be available when needed, not when scheduled. Organizations need to develop a culture of continuous learning and knowledge-sharing. 

In the 19th century, Hermann Ebbinghaus already discovered that our brains delete what we don’t use. Studies show that only 12% of employees use the new skills they learned daily. If you create content that is engaging and provides hands-on practice, for instance, through online learning tools that include simulated scenarios, the workforce will have a much more productive learning experience. And the employees can self-educate when necessary, instead of waiting for a training course. Instruqt leverages a unique online challenge-based learning solution to accelerate learning to match the speed of transformation. We aim to create digital winners with a new way of learning. Instruqt is here to support you in building your employee development and knowledge sharing. 

Instruqt is on a mission to change the face of online learning. Our challenge-driven learning platform enables enterprises to upskill the workforce at scale with cost-effective learning solutions. We enable the workforce to learn new technologies continuously and therefore helps to accelerate the transformation initiatives. Here are three use cases of our learning platform:

 1. We offer learning paths that accompany enterprise IT teams to upskill along the transformation journeys continuously. For example, we help to boost DevOps transformation to help IT teams get up to speed to work with Git, Kubernetes, Docker, Jenkins, and many more tools. Another one, we help to get your teams up to speed on all things Data and A and have them building their skills on Python and TensorFlow in no time. Quality without compromise! Our learning paths are created by consultants who are experts in their field and are based on real-world scenarios, using real technology and infrastructure. As our platform integrates with all major cloud providers, we make it easy to simulate real production-like environments and are accessible from the browser.

 2. From onboarding to product training, technology companies make use of the Instruqt learning platform to design, develop, and deliver interactive product demos, tutorials to help customers learn their technologies. They build hands-on tutorials, bite-sized challenges that are accessible from any browser. We reduce the time spent on training preparation by 80% while making the product training twice as effective.

3. Since March 2019, Instruqt has been working with Google Cloud. The collaboration came about because a developer advocate for Google Cloud Platform (GCP) saw our work at Container Days last year. He loved our concept and immediately pitched the idea to his colleagues. It turns out Google had been looking for a way to engage attendees at Google Cloud Next and wanted a solution that would offer a challenging environment while boosting product adoption. Our interactive learning platform was exactly what they were looking for. We built seven arcade machines powered by the Instruqt platform, while Google built tracks and challenges centered around GCP.

People learn best by doing. Where traditional learning platforms focus on broadcasting information, Instruqt focuses on building tacit knowledge by providing an immersive learning experience. We not only explain what technology is about and why it’s important. We also provide sandbox environments based on real infrastructure and technology, in which learners have to solve challenges based on real-world scenarios. This way, people learn to apply tools and technology to solve their business problems.

 
A key differentiator is that we don’t believe in monkey-see, monkey-do type of learning. So we don’t give people step-by-step instructions on how to use certain technology, but we give them challenges to solve. To solve these challenges, learners will have to think for themselves and find a way to solve the problem, given the technology that is available in their sandbox environment. The Instruqt platform can inspect these sandboxes, see the solutions of the learners, and provide hints or guidance when necessary.
 
Using this challenge-based learning, retention of information is much higher compared to traditional online learning. People can practice with real tools and technology, and convert their new-found knowledge into hands-on skills.

We expect to serve 2.5 million learners in five years.

Our goal is to change the way people learn. We believe learning is done best by doing. We want to provide the best possible learning environment where people build tacit knowledge. By next year we’ll have learning paths that will support organizations in their digital transformations. Whether it is a Cloud migration, DevOps transformation, or Data Science implementation, the Instruqt platform will help organizations by upskilling their workforce in a scalable way. In five years, we will have built a large community, where people not only come to develop their knowledge but also share it actively.

Instruqt is proudly a part of Xebia Group. Xebia explores and creates new frontiers in IT. We provide innovative products and services and strive to stay one step ahead of our customers’ needs. We turn new technology trends into business advantages. As mainstream frontrunners, we create new IT solutions and build the future with our customers. Customers choose Xebia for our innovative solutions, technological depth, and craftsmanship. True knowledge workers find Xebia to be an inspiring place to work where they are challenged by peers. It’s your business, we accelerate it.

We are a group of highly ambitious craftsmen. From digital strategy to technology implementation. As such we are a one stop shop for full stack digital transformation. We provide innovative solutions and services to help your organization become a digital winner.

We are organized in specialized centers of excellence all over the world. With like-minded individuals aiming for authority in their respective fields.

Xebia Group consists of six specialized companies: Xebia Services, Xebia Academy, XebiaLabs, StackState, GoDataDriven, Instruqt, and Xpirit.

Built by experts who live and breath tech

Instruqt was developed by a team of IT engineers and consultants in Cloud and DevOps-related topics who are passionate about learning, knowledge sharing and have worked with many organizations in advising them on how to adopt new technology.  They know from experience that IT professionals learn best by doing. 

Deborah Burton is the CEO of Instruqt, where she works with her team to help traditional IT organizations transition to a new innovative way to train and upskill their IT professionals and teams. Instruqt’s interactive learning-by-doing, platform is “changing the game” when it comes to online education and training. With 36 years working in the IT sector, Deborah brings a wealth of knowledge with her from her previous positions. Her most recent as the Managing Director of the DevOps Agile Skills Association (DASA).

Adé Mochtar is Co-Founder and CTO of Instruqt. Before starting Instruqt, he was an engineer and consultant in Cloud and DevOps-related topics. A big part of that job was to educate organizations on how to adopt new technology. With Instruqt, he tries to achieve the same but on a larger scale. His mission is to make learning DevOps and Cloud more effective and fun.

Connie Tai is responsible for marketing at Instruqt. Achieving total customer relevance and sustained growth are the key drivers in her strategy. She brings a wealth of experience in B2B marketing, digital marketing, and eCommerce. Before Instruqt, Connie has worked in startup and scaling up organizations.