“Talent is everywhere but the opportunity is not,” Nadella said during the virtual event. “Over and over again, we see that when people have access to education and skilling they create new opportunities for themselves and other people.”
The goal is to create a “system of learning” that allows workers to evolve as technology evolves throughout their careers. Smith calls it “the most comprehensive approach we have ever undertaken to meet the digital skilling needs of individuals and employers alike.”
It has seemed logical for some years that tech giants would end up fully engaged in various online learning tools and platforms. That assumption has only been strengthened by the pandemic’s pressure to upgrade LFH tools. Here Microsoft plunges into the pool with a program described below, which is called “training” and thus falls under “workforce development”. But the line between training and “learning from home” is a narrow one, and possible illusionary.
One of the impacts less likely to be noticed with such workforce development training, is the creation of non institutional accreditation and certification. That’s the big one for online learning of all kinds…disruption of the traditional educational systems gate keeping functions.
In addition to the free resources, Microsoft will offer low-cost certifications required to fill tech roles. The certifications are based on exams that determine a student’s skill in Microsoft technologies. They will be available for a discounted fee of $15 to anyone whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19.
What seems to be still missing is the public/private partnership between tech giants and public school institutions across the US.
Since teacher’s unions currently seem to be pushing school districts to keep teachers safer through more LFH, would one be too presumptive to expect some form of joint project proposals put forward with tech giants? Where’s Apple? Where’s AT&T? Where’s Comcast?
[gview file=”https://publicservicesalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Microsoft-unveils-sweeping-job-training-initiative-to-teach-digital-skills-to-25M-impacted-by-pandemic-GeekWire.pdf”]Microsoft isn’t the first big tech company — or even the first from the Seattle area — to launch an ambitious skills training program. A year ago, Amazon announced a $700 million initiative to retrain its workers in high-demand skills like data science and business analysis
Kudos to Gary for link.