The joy (and sometimes woe) of working in technology is that we're forever learning. The software stack is constantly changing, so innovators come to embrace a lifetime of learning. In this ever-evolving IT landscape, measurable skills have become the global currency for IT professionals.
In this post, we'll talk about the selection of [courses](https://education.konghq.com/courses)courses offered through [Kong Academy](https://education.konghq.com/)Kong Academy and the [Kong Certification](https://konghq.com/academy/certification)Kong Certification program, as well the benefits of microcredentials for employers and employees.
The education team here at Kong Academy is excited about the certification program we are building out — a program providing industry-recognized credentials on all things API, including developer certification, operator certification, and architect certification.
To that end, we're building out a series of Kong Certifications, starting with the [Kong Gateway Certified Associate Certification](https://konghq.com/academy/exam-preparation)Kong Gateway Certified Associate Certification.
Our goal is to give Kong's customers, partners, and community users the opportunity to demonstrate skills through a certification and badging program.
Our curriculum developers have an average of 25-plus years industry experience, much of that as practitioners in the DevOps and middleware spaces. This real-world experience is infused in our content and exams, as we recognize that the value of our certification depends on meeting a high standard of practical applicability.
Our certification exams are proctored to ensure that exam takers comply with testing rules and that the integrity of the certification is not undermined. Kong offers instructor-led and self-paced training to prepare for certification.
[Kong Gateway Certified Associate](https://konghq.com/academy/exam-preparation)Kong Gateway Certified Associate is the foundational certification on [Kong Gateway](https://konghq.com/products/api-gateway-platform)Kong Gateway for developers, DevOps, and architects. It requires users to complete the Kong Gateway Operations course.
Those with the certification should be able to demonstrate essential understanding of microservice connectivity and operating multiple APIs in a multi-platform environment.
This cert will be required to take the next level professional tier certification.
Individuals interested in the Kong Gateway Certified Associate certification are recommended to complete the following training courses.
KGAC-101 is available free on Kong Academy, and KGAC-201 is available to Kong Academy subscribers or through instructor-led training.
Visit the [exam preparation page](https://konghq.com/academy/exam-preparation)exam preparation page for more details on this certification. Or explore our full catalog of [Kong Training courses](https://education.konghq.com/courses)Kong Training courses.
Microcredentials are short, focused credentials that offer a means of validating that a person has the skills required to work in a particular technology space. Employers and employees derive real benefits from certification.
On the employer side of the equation, 64% of IT leaders say certified employees deliver $10,000 or more added value per credentialed employee, according to the [Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary report](https://www.globalknowledge.com/us-en/content/salary-report/it-skills-and-salary-report/)Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary report.
Other benefits for employers include:
In 2023, we'll be adding several new certifications, including Kong Developer, Kong Mesh Operations Associate, Kong Konnect Operations Associate, and Kong Gateway Operations Professional certifications.
*Kong Gateway Certified Associate Certification*
Upon passing the certification exam, you'll be awarded a digital badge so you can share your accomplishments within your network over social media. Our partners can also earn these digital badges to showcase their skills to our customers.
Digital badges make it easy for customers to see which partners have the capabilities they need to execute their vision with Kong's cloud native API management solutions.
Visit the [Kong Certifications page](https://konghq.com/academy/certification)Kong Certifications page to learn more about how you can get started on your learning journey — and register for your exam today!
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