Are you gearing up for Drupal 8?  With a release candidate just around the corner, D8 will be with us before we know it...and most of us will need some training to get up to speed with all its changes. Luckily, help is here!

Two of the best sources for online Drupal training videos are already adding Drupal 8 courses to their libraries.  If you haven’t heard of Drupalize.me or BuildAModule.com, grab a cup of joe, sit back and let me introduce you.

BuildAModule.com

Founded by long-time Drupalista Chris Shattuck in 2009, BuildAModule.com offers over 1300 Drupal training videos with more on the way.  Chris’s vision is that BuildAModule.com be "a place where people can learn nearly any aspect of working with Drupal in the most efficient and enjoyable way possible."

BuildAModule.com's library includes  video courses on theming, site building, module creation, core conceptions, version contro, PHP and more.  I’ve been a member for a few years now and especially liked the PHP course.  No programmer, I was finally able to understand enough PHP to create some simple modules and find my way around other people’s code—not an easy achievement, believe me.  I haven’t taken the "Drupal 8 Developer Prep” course yet, but it’s on my to-do list.  It looks like a solid, intermediate-level introduction to D8 that will quickly get developers up to speed.

Memberships to BuildAModule.com allow you access to all of the video courses on the site.  They cost less than $30 a month, with sales and promotions often advertised.  Group rates are available for teams.

Drupalize.me

Drupalize.me is the brainchild of Lullabot, one of the best-known development and training companies in the Drupal ecosphere.  With 1200 Drupal video tutorials, Drupalize.me’s library has training videos and courses that run the gamut from beginner to advanced and site administration to module development.

Drupalize.me has also begun adding Drupal 8 video courses.  In particular, the "What's New In Drupal 8” and the "Preparing for Drupal 8” series look interesting and are on my to-do list (my to-do list is outrageous).  Through our team account at work, I’ve watched many D7 videos and found them all extremely helpful.  In the past, Drupalize.me focused more on site builders and themers, but with these latest video courses, it looks like they may be targeting backend and module developers now, as well.

Memberships to Drupalize.me run $45 per month or $450 per year for individuals.  Group rates are available, as is a customizable Enterprise level account.

So Which Should I Join?

Both BuildAModule.com and Drupalize.me offer excellent, high-quality Drupal training video courses taught by experts in the field.  Unless you’re already a Drupal expert, you’ll find more than enough material on both of these sites to justify the expense.  

If you can only register for one membership, listen to a few of the free video tutorials offered by each site.  One of them may have a teaching approach that appeals to you more.

You also can find out more about BuildAModule.com and Drupalize.me at DrupalCon LA 2015.  If you’re attending the conference, look for BuildAModule.com’s “Drupal for Beginners” training on Monday or for any of the Drupalize.me ‘bots speaking at sessions throughout the conference.  Or stop by their booths in the Exhibit Hall.

Whichever you choose, buying a membership to an online Drupal training site is a smart move.  Taking courses and learning is a fantastic way to invest in your career and your future.