Open source solutions provider Red Hat today announced the launch of its open source education program, the Red Hat Academy.

According to the company the program provides hands-on curriculum, labs, performance-based testing, and educator training and support. It is available to universities with the required technology and support environments in the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region.

The company says certification will empower students to demonstrate their understanding of Red Hat technologies to potential employers and prepare them for the job market.

Red Hat will also provide participating universities with access to its curriculum, enabling instructors to prepare for class instruction and personal certification.

In a statement the company explains, "Red Hat Academy also provides direct email support to instructors throughout the year for curriculum or systems assistance. Instructors are encouraged to enroll in Red Hat's commercial training and exams for certifications, such as Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) or Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)."

Middleware learning paths are also available, as standalone paths with the core curriculum not prerequisite.

The Red Hat JBoss Application Administration course can be taken by those with system administration skills in Linux, Unix or Windows, and students with a foundation in Java programming can take the Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Development course.

Jens Ziemann, director, Training, EMEA, Red Hat, "Red Hat Academy is a win-win for universities and students alike. The computer science field is evolving rapidly and universities have realized that they need to ensure the courses that they provide deliver enterprise-ready information and skills. Red Hat Academy delivers timely course materials that are in step with learnings in the field. Professional certification can strengthen a student's position in the job market since it demonstrates experience of real world technologies."