Microsoft and LinkedIn programme to help 10 million people learn digital skills

Microsoft and LinkedIn are providing free access to 350 courses and six new Career Essentials Certificates for six of the most in-demand jobs in the digital economy.

The tech companies said the initiative is the next step in the Skills for Jobs programme.

Microsoft and LinkedIn will also be offering 50 000 LinkedIn Learning scholarships.

The software giant will help train and certify 10 million people with skills for in-demand jobs.

It said this launch builds on the Global Skills Initiative, which it claims helped 80 million jobseekers around the world access digital skilling resources.

South Africa

Microsoft said the Global Skills initiative has helped more than 680 000 people gain access to digital skills with more than 30 000 learning paths completed since July 2020, including 460 professional Microsoft certifications obtained.

Qualifications

Certifications included Azure Fundamentals, Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate, Power BI Analyst Associate, Microsoft Azure Developer Associate, and Fundamentals.

Popular Microsoft Learn learning paths completed included Get Started with Artificial Intelligence, Create Powerapps, Create Use Analytics Reports, M365 Manage Team Collaboration, and Power Platform Fundamentals.

The popular LinkedIn Learning courses included project manager, sales development, customer service, critical soft skills, and data analyst.

In-demand jobs

Using data from LinkedIn and the Burning Glass Institute, Microsoft analysed job listings to determine six of the roles in greatest demand:

• Administrative professional
• Project manager
• Business analyst
• Systems administrator
• Software developer or data analyst

Microsoft said the new courses and certificates will be offered in seven languages, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese.

Declining economy and unemployment

Lillian Barnard, CEO of Microsoft South Africa, said a declining economy and a high unemployment rate remain key challenges in the country.

“Digital skills are now more important than ever as almost every job requires some level of digital competence. The new courses and certificates aim to empower unemployed South Africans by providing them with the relevant digital skills to secure in-demand jobs in the digital economy.”

Microsoft said the new Career Essentials Certificates are designed to help people bridge the gap from basic digital literacy to more advanced technical skills training and gain certifications that will be valuable to securing employment.

“Once a learning pathway is completed, learners will receive a LinkedIn badge to denote their certificate and indicate fluency in the skillset to employers.”

Courses

All courses are available on LinkedIn here.

In addition, Microsoft-developed courses are also available on Microsoft Community Training (MCT) and in downloadable format for use on other learning management systems (LMS) for non-profit partners.

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