Microsoft is introducing a new Skills for Jobs Learning Pathways program that brings free access to 350 courses and six career essential certificates. This program builds on the success of the Microsoft global skilling program which has since reached over 80 million people worldwide with digital skills. With the company seeking to increase access to digital and foundational skills.
In Kenya, the global skills program has impacted an estimated 189,000 people, with 4,471 Kenyans completing the Learning Paths through the initiative. The Microsoft Skills for Jobs Learning Pathways program is focused on ensuring that economic opportunity is inclusive. So that job seekers all over the world have access to the skills, technology, and opportunities they need to succeed in a changing economy.
“Digital transformation has accelerated across all industries, resulting in the creation of new tech and tech-enabled jobs and driving economic growth. However, Microsoft has discovered that skills alone are insufficient for people to obtain the jobs they desire, particularly in the most in-demand positions. People, particularly those changing careers, must be able to demonstrate these skills to hiring managers.”
The Microsoft Skills for Jobs Pathways provide people who have been excluded from the digital economy with in-demand foundational, role-based, and technical skills, certifications, and connections to jobs and opportunities.
As part of the new initiative, Microsoft and LinkedIn will provide free access to 350 new courses and easy-to-follow learning paths, as well as six Career Essentials Certificates for six of the most in-demand jobs. The courses will be available in eight languages, including English, French, and Arabic, to help job seekers showcase their skills to employers and land jobs.
Microsoft Skills for Jobs Learning Pathways
“Microsoft is helping learners prepare for tech and tech-enabled roles with new learning paths and certificates for some of the most in-demand roles in the digital economy including Administrative Professional, Project Manager, Business Analyst, Systems Administrator, Software Developer and Data Analyst,” explains Migwi. “To ensure a better fit for learners, the company has invested not only in unlocking content but also in developing content for each of the career essential certificate paths.”
Foundational Skills will be established through three new learning paths: digital literacy and productivity, soft skills, and entrepreneurship. For learners progressing from Foundational Skills to the next level, there are six career certificates available.
The courses combine the knowledge from experts in the field, Microsoft product expertise, and a purposeful building of introductory courses. All the courses are available on LinkedIn at opportunity.linkedin.com.
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 partners. Microsoft is also collaborating with 200 nonprofits around the world, governments, intergovernmental organizations, foundations, and other private sector partners. It is estimated that by 2025, Microsoft will help train and certify 10 million people with new skills.
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Microsoft is phasing out the resume assistant tool in Microsoft Word which gives people ideas for work experiences and skills. The company started by removing the CV assistant feature from the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) in September 2022. With plans to fully remove the feature from Word for Microsoft 365 and no longer support it by January 2023.
By January 2023, Microsoft will remove the resume assistant feature across Windows (Current Channel, Monthly Enterprise Channel, Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel), Mac, and Word for the web. Microsoft recommends using a resume template in Word or the LinkedIn Resume Builder as a replacement.
The resume assistant tool is a feature powered by LinkedIn in Word for Microsoft 365 that helps resume/CV writers craft compelling resumes with personalized insights. They get real-world examples of work experiences and top skills related to a role or industry. It shows a CV writer examples of descriptions to use as inspiration to tailor theirs so recruiters and hiring managers can notice them.
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Amazon, Software engineer and Teaching have emerged as the top trending employer, job and skill respectively in South Africa.
This is according to data from Microsoft’s LinkedIn Economic Graph. Which Microsoft believes can help policymakers make informed decisions and chart new paths to economic opportunity.
Multinational technology company Amazon, Webhelp, OUTsurance, Old Mutual and the University of Cape Town make the top five in the top trending employer’s category.
In the top trending jobs category, software engineer, project manager, attorney, financial advisor and sales executive make the top five.
The top trending skills across all industries in South Africa were teaching, financial accounting, financial reporting, project planning and sales management.
Microsoft uses global data of about seven hundred and twenty-two million LinkedIn members, fifty-five million companies and twenty-four million jobs to track workforce trends.
However, the data from the Microsoft LinkedIn economic graph doesn’t mention the specific number from which the South Africa insights were drawn.
The insights are taken from LinkedIn users in Cape Town and Johannesburg and from about ten industries. Such as legal, public administration, education, corporate services, real estate, finance and software and IT services.
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In the midst of the covid-19 pandemic and people getting laid off, Microsoft announced a global digital skills initiative. Offering free online courses to help people boost their digital skills or gain new relevant skills to be employable.
Three months after the announcement, the company shared about ten million people have enrolled in a course from two hundred and thirty-one countries.
In November 2020, the Microsoft Africa team noted that nine hundred thousand people are from the Middle East and Africa (MEA).
This number doesn’t look like a lot looking at the population of the MEA region. With Microsoft noting connectivity as one of the challenges in the MEA region.
To try and get more people across the region skilled up, Microsoft is partnering with organizations and governments to achieve this. Offering additional funding and services.
In South Africa, Microsoft is pledging one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to Afrika Tikkun. To help further its efforts of recruiting fifty thousand job hunters to take participate in one of the learning paths.
So far, the popular learning paths in the free online courses include software development, customer service and data analysis.
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Check out other stories making the news in the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.
Microsoft is collaborating with Social Change Factory to launch a digital skills initiative in Senegal.
Through the partnership, Social change is offering free access to learning content, recognized Microsoft certification and professional opportunities.
This is part of Microsoft’s Global Skills Initiative programme to help twenty-five million people worldwide acquire digital skills. By giving learners access to learning resources across Microsoft and its subsidiary companies, LinkedIn and GitHub.
The resources include free access to learning paths and content to help learners develop the skills these positions require. As well as low-cost certifications and free job-seeking tools to help learners pursue new jobs.
The initiative will help young job seekers acquire competencies and get certified, notes Yacine Barro, Microsoft West and Central Africa Country Manager during the launch event.
As an immediate response, this initiative consists of helping individual young job seekers to acquire competencies and get certified on them; ensuring they gain the right skills, knowledge, and opportunity to succeed in the post-pandemic world. Microsoft and Social Change Factory will provide free access to learning content from LinkedIn Learning, GitHub and Microsoft Learn. Access to low-cost test that provides industry-recognized certifications. And free connections to LinkedIn Employability tools such as networking and job search tools, coaches and mentorships opportunities.
Yacine Barro
Yaccine also thanks Social Change Factory for helping drive the skills initiative in Senegal.
To learn more and participate in the Microsoft Global skills initiative click to visit the Social Change Factory website.
Pour formez-vous et obtenez une certification Microsoft Global Skills initiative cliquez ici.
