Hi Richard, and welcome to the forum! To focus your question to a region-specific area like you have, I think that
Google will be your best source of information. Google knows everything!
But if you are new to Linux, then before you spend money on classroom training, I would recommend that you investigate all the free training that is available on the web. We have tutorials on this site, the Linux Foundation offers a free online class for people just beginning, there are free e-books, there are countless YouTube videos, and even more that you can explore before it needs to cost you money.
Armed with a little knowledge... start downloading, installing, and USING Linux. Use different ones to understand how varied they are. Maybe spend a small amount of money to get some used garage sale computers and set up a network. Turn one of them into a server. Learn a little bit about Bash (command line) and develop some Bash scripts to perform repetitive tasks. Bash is very powerful, and it may serve as an introduction for you to the skills needed for programming in other languages.
Another resource that you may have nearby is a "LUG" (Linux Users Group). Again, check Google to see if one is close enough for you to visit. Most of us make our Linux friends online, but it can be great if you might make face-to-face Linux friends too.
Cheers