srcLogic’s Experiential Pega Training: The Journey from Pega Novice to Certified System Architect
Written By: Maddie Corona
Throughout the interview process at srcLogic, I asked many different questions about the new hire training program, but the one question I found myself coming back to the most was: Did you feel prepared after 8 weeks of training to use Pega Platform to work on a project? One of my biggest concerns coming into training stemmed from my lack of programming experience and the daunting challenge of learning a low code platform in such a short period of time. However, after completing srcLogic’s Experiential Pega Training (EPT) program, I came to realize how well the training program transforms new hires with no Pega experience to developers who are prepared for the Pega Certified System Architect exam in just one week. This program is not only available to new hires throughout their training at srcLogic, but it is open to any individuals looking to enhance their Pega skills through hands-on Pega training. As an Authorized Training Partner, srcLogic is a top-tier accredited trainer certified by Pega to train new developers at our very own Pega training center in Tysons Corner, VA.
On the first day of this week-long program, we were asked to sit with one of our peers for the duration of the week and use them as a resource and collaborator as we learned the ins and outs of Pega. Each morning would start out with lessons consisting of a slide deck of foundational Pega knowledge that overlapped with things we were already learning in our time studying the Certified System Architect course information. Our instructors went over the slides covering Pega concepts while fielding questions and checking our understanding periodically, providing us with conceptual knowledge of what our learning goals were for that day. Additionally, the morning lesson was broken up by mini demonstrations in Pega that were led by our instructors for us to follow along with. This allowed us to directly apply the conceptual knowledge we just learned in a practical way. While one instructor was leading the room through the demo, the other instructor was walking around making sure that everyone was following along and didn’t have any questions.
One of the most unique aspects of the EPT program was the fact that it was taught by two of srcLogic’s own Certified Senior System Architects, who were part of the Fall 2022 new hire class. Having instructors who were in our shoes just a year ago not only allowed us to receive insightful instruction, tips, and tricks related to Pega, but it also made the learning experience more empathetic, less intimidating, and more collaborative.
Each afternoon, we were given a longer assignment to apply what we had learned throughout the day and work towards creating our own app, a job application portal. These assignments were individual in the sense that we were each building our own app, but our new hire class rarely worked on any of these assignments solo. Our instructors held off from answering questions until an hour or two had passed so that we were forced to rely on other resources, such as the slide decks we went over that morning, our peers, or simply a Google search. More often than not, each team of two would work together, and sometimes teams would collaborate to share knowledge and successfully complete the activity. After we were finished, our instructors would check our apps, ask if we had any questions, and review the changes we made all together.
Before we knew it, the week came to an end, and we soon discovered that the program had prepared us for the Pega Certified System Architect exam. While we had dedicated study days throughout training to go over the course material, I found that the true understanding of the material happened throughout EPT. Shortly after the week concluded, all 10 new hires passed the exam to become Pega Certified System Architects, an accomplishment that would not have been possible without the thoughtful design of the program, the help of our instructors, and the collaboration amongst peers.