The nonprofit Linux Foundation announced a new Linux Certification Program to help systems administrators show off some credentials and get jobs based upon them. There are two certifications – one for early career admins and one for engineer-level admins.

The foundation says, “Combined with increased Linux training offerings and a free ‘Introduction to Linux’ Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) introduced earlier this year, The Linux Foundation Certification Program will help expand the talent pool of Linux professionals worldwide. Demand for experienced Linux professionals continues to grow with this year’s Linux Jobs Report showing that managers are prioritizing Linux hires and paying more for this talent. Because Linux runs today’s global technology infrastructure, companies around the world are looking for more Linux professionals yet most hiring managers say that finding Linux talent is difficult.”

“Our mission is to address the demand for Linux that the industry is currently experiencing. We are making our training program and Linux certification more accessible to users worldwide, since talent isn’t confined to one geography or one distribution,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director at the foundation. “Our new Certification Program will enable employers to easily identify Linux talent when hiring and uncover the best of the best. We think Linux professionals worldwide will want to proudly showcase their skills through these certifications and that these certificates will become a hallmark of quality throughout our industry.”

The Foundation announced that it’s giving away about 1,000 free exams to attendees of LinuxCon and CloudOpen, and offering exams to 500 more people for $50. Regular exam price is $300.

More on the certifications here.

Image via Linux Foundation