Technology advancements are now accelerating faster than our ability to adapt, leaving a huge gap in digital skills. A recent Microsoft study has revealed that 82 percent of UK jobs already require digital skills, and that 69 percent of leaders feel their organisation suffers from a digital skills gap, even though 59 percent of employees believe in the importance of developing their digital skills.

The skills gap is only getting wider. By 2025, there are expected to be three million new tech jobs in the UK, and 60 percent of employers are expecting their reliance on advanced digital skills to grow in the next five years. In effect, organisations hoping to grow and remain competitive in the future need to build a workforce that is equipped to fill these roles and thrive in a digital world of work.

Yet many employees don’t have the skills they need to perform their role currently, let alone in the future.

Demand for digital skills also goes beyond the technology sector. A recent employer survey by the Learning and Work Institute found that the proportion of employers who saw basic digital skills as important for employees was particularly high in certain sectors – including media, marketing, advertising and PR (100 percent), IT and telecoms (99 percent), and finance and accounting (97 percent).

However, even in the industry with the lowest proportion – manufacturing – nearly nine in ten (87 percent) employers said that basic digital skills were important for their workers.

So, what more can businesses and employers do to ensure that we have a steady supply of tech talent joining the sector? And, importantly, how can Microsoft help?

Introducing the Microsoft Connector Community

Whilst many business leaders recognise that their organisation is facing a skills shortage, the challenge often comes in knowing what to do about it.

At Microsoft, we believe that part of the answer to tackling the UK’s digital skills gap is collaboration. Bringing together organisations from across the public and private sector to work collectively and deliver tangible benefits to the prospective careers of young people, while driving growth and innovation across the economy.

The Microsoft Connector Community, part of the Microsoft Apprenticeship Connector, is designed to bridge the digital skills gap. It nurtures a connected community of businesses and organisations that collectively leverage their brands, reputations and resources to address the need for digital skills in the workforce and connect talented individuals to opportunities.

We believe that taking a collaborative approach ensures a steady and well-equipped technology talent pipeline. This is essential to addressing the skills shortages faced by employers today, as well as mitigating future shortages.

I’d like to share my thoughts on how this could work:

1. Creating a connected talent ecosystem: When employers work together to support, empower and inspire young people, rather than bombarding them with too many competing options, we all benefit. By using the Microsoft Apprenticeship Connector to advertise digital vacancies, digital skills bootcamps and opportunities for learning and training, we can create a highly visible and inspiring platform that enables young people to find the opportunities that are right for them. In addition, by pooling vacancies across one platform, with a single access point for roles, we can recycle and share talent. We can also signpost applicants towards other vacancies and employers, even if they have been unsuccessful in applying to a different company.

2. Simplifying the talent pipeline: We can help simplify the technology talent pipeline by reimagining how we advertise digital vacancies and training opportunities. For example, we can reach a larger and more diverse pool of candidates by simplifying the language that we use across our digital vacancies. This might increase engagement with candidates from non-conventional technology and digital backgrounds – allowing us to widen our talent pool and employ people who bring a unique and diverse perspective to the sector.

3. Leveraging expertise and insight: A coalition of like-minded individuals enables us to learn from one another’s expertise and experience, helping us to identify, profile and address the systemic issues that are stifling the UK’s economy. What’s more, the Apprenticeship Connector can also support business leaders and employers to better understand the social impact of the work that they’re doing. With demographic and geographic insight, we can identify and better target under-represented and under-served groups.

Building a Connector Community in Greater Manchester

As part of Microsoft’s UK Get On commitment, we’re committed to helping 30,000 people find jobs in the technology sector in Greater Manchester.

I recently had the pleasure of joining colleagues in the region for an event focused on building a connected talent system, as part of National Apprenticeship Week. After the event, I caught up with Greater Manchester Regional Lead, Marie Hamilton, for her take on how the introduction of Microsoft Connector Community could empower the next stage of the Get On campaign in Greater Manchester, and across the UK. Marie said:

“Greater Manchester is now the fastest growing technology hub in Europe, but to maintain this growth, we need to build a skilled and sustainable digital workforce. Working collectively across sectors and industries, regionally and nationally, allows us to understand and measure the skills gap, as well as enabling us to build a shared plan to tackle it.

Our National Apprenticeship Week event demonstrated huge enthusiasm for using the Connector Community model to further the progress made by Get On – as shown by the attendance from not only our largest private sector customers but also across the public sector, academia, central and local government”.

Marie Hamilton, Greater Manchester Regional Lead

What’s next?

Over the coming months, Microsoft will be holding a series of regional roundtable events to help businesses and organisations understand more about the Microsoft Apprenticeship Connector, and the Connector Community.

To find out more, please visit the Microsoft Apprenticeship Connector platform.

Microsoft Get On

At Microsoft, we believe everyone deserves access to the skills, knowledge and opportunity needed to achieve more. Through our Get On commitment, we’re helping 1.5 million people build tech careers and connecting 300,000 to tech job opportunities.

You can find out more by visiting our Digital Skills Hub, where you’ll find a host of information and resources designed to provide business leaders and employers with insights on how to close the UK’s skills gap, harness new technology and drive innovation.

You can also explore Microsoft Learn, which has an array of certifications, modules and learning pathways designed to help business leaders to upskill employees, as well as supporting individuals to take control of their careers and build vital digital skills.

Find out more

Microsoft Digital Skills Hub

Microsoft Apprenticeship Network

How Microsoft is connecting jobseekers to employers

About the author

I am the UK Apprentice Lead for Microsoft in the HR team. Working with apprenticeships since 2012, I have also worked with SMEs creating, designing, and delivering large corporate apprenticeship programmes. My role at Microsoft is all about creating and developing an apprenticeship strategy that supports our UK business and delivers an exceptional experience for both our apprentices and our business.

The post New connections: how we’re bridging the UK digital skills gap appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Using hard data as a starting point, we explore the changing world of hybrid work. Guided by our own experiences of neurodivergence and disability, we debate how a more collaborative and accessible approach can drive efficiency across the public sector. In most cases we find that it can be done using technology that governments already possess.  

As a former policy advisor with hands-on experience of shaping equality legislation, these issues are all very close to my heart. 

Aligning leaders and teams to make hybrid work, work

The first episode of the Public Sector Podcast Series, season four, is The Future of Work – Facing the Hybrid Challenge. In it, Microsoft’s Henry Rex, industry advisor, and Rakhi Sachdeva, modern workplace specialist, discuss findings from the latest Work Trends Index report. The numbers reveal a significant disconnect between managers and teams around attitudes to remote working. 87 percent of remote employees reported feeling confident in their productivity at work, while only 12 percent of managers felt the same way about the performance of their remote teams.  

Managers can benefit from investing more trust in their teams and using soft skills to ensure that everyone gets access to the vision and culture of the organisation, which is key to productivity. Helping staff learn new skills ‘on the go’ improves both retention and productivity. We also discuss how a more flexible approach to work can empower individuals who have differing needs to be more effective. Building trust between management and staff enables everyone to align around the public service mission; as Henry Rex points out, people often join an organisation for the money, but stay there for the culture.

Neurodivergence and the innovation challenge

In episode two, Innovate Together, Microsoft account technology strategist, Andrew Boxall, talks about managing change in government and how it can enable staff to embrace more productive and collaborative ways of working. Along the way we discuss our shared experiences of being neurodiverse in the workplace, which provides insights into the challenges of data-driven innovation. 

Addressing bias and differing learning styles enables public servants to collaborate better across organisations. The Innovate Together initiative, supported by Microsoft, aims to accelerate innovation and best practice sharing across the public sector. Trailblazers like Norfolk County Council provide an inspirational example of how advanced techniques such as robotic process automation can drive efficiency.  

Success depends on leaders who set an example and have the initiative to share their learnings. All our guests agreed that making better use of existing tools is a great way to achieve incremental efficiency gains in government, and start building confidence. 

Extending accessibility and inclusion to drive productivity 

In episode three, Accessibility, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, I speak to Maria Grazia Zedda, senior EDI manager at HS2, who is severely deaf. Maria Grazia speaks movingly about overcoming the challenges of disability and hardship when she arrived in London as a young woman. London is also where she found support on her career path and discovered her vocation, improving accessibility in the workplace for everyone. These uplifting experiences are captured in her first novel which is to be published in her native Italy. 

Maria Grazia welcomes the adoption of new technologies that enhance accessibility and inclusion, such as minicoms and auto-captions (Live Captions in Microsoft Teams), the use of which was accelerated by remote working. The momentum now needs to be maintained so that inclusion becomes a fundamental principle of the workplace and the built environment. 

Explore episodes from our previous series 

Our previous three podcast series provide fascinating insights into how efficiency in the public sector could be improved with fresh thinking.  

Public Sector Podcast Series – Season One

In Public Sector Podcast Series – Season 1, guests discuss how citizen services can be enhanced using new digital technologies. Further episodes explore the challenges of managing security across government in a digital world, and overcoming the barriers to legacy estate reduction. Hindsight is also explored as a means of understanding past mistakes and improving government performance in the future.

Public Sector Podcast Series – Season Two

Public Sector Podcast Series – Season 2 builds on these themes, looking at how citizen identity in government can be managed simply and securely. The challenges of hybrid work, and the uses of geospatial data science in the context of the government’s levelling-up agenda, are also up for discussion. A highlight from series two is the episode that draws lessons from the Environment Agency’s experience of digital transformation. Cross-government data sharing also comes under scrutiny.

Public Sector Podcast Series – Season Three

Public Sector Podcast Series – Season 3 digs deeper into data sharing and how citizens engage with government. We assess the government’s Green agenda and the challenge of data literacy in driving innovation across the public sector. And what, we ask, do young people think about entering public service? We devote an episode to figuring out the changing face of apprenticeship in a hybrid world.

Find out more

Successful trial of the Microsoft and Socitm Change Agent programme

Our innovation – Norfolk County Council

Microsoft 365 Collaboration Blueprint for UK Government – Microsoft Industry Blogs – United Kingdom

How the public sector can streamline operations and innovate with intelligent automation – Microsoft Industry Blogs – United Kingdom

About the author

Aaron has worked at Microsoft as an industry advisor for central government for the last four years. Before that he spent twenty-five years in the public sector across a number of departments, in both central and local government, leading on technology policy and strategy. Most notably, he worked on the creation of the Equality Acts (2006 and 2010), the Public Sector Equality Duty and the translation of the EU Accessibility Regulations over to the UK. Outside of his day job, Aaron lectures on accessibility, inclusion and neurodiversity at local institutions and across the wider tech sector.

The post How to make government more effective in a hybrid world: podcast series appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Apprenticeships are becoming a very popular way into the working world. It allows young people to earn a salary and get a head-start in their careers. While doing this they are learning important skills and gaining certifications.

This year, Microsoft hosted a virtual event for National Apprenticeship Week. We looked at how to build a supportive culture for a successful apprenticeship programme. We also looked at ways to democratise digital skills throughout your organisation.

Building a growth mindset in your culture

We engaged in inspiring sessions, delivered by Selina Tishler. She spoke of the history of Microsoft, starting from the beginning with Paul Allen and Bill Gates. From here, we saw the main drivers of change within Microsoft. We learnt how Satya made changes to the culture to empower employees. This shift alongside the focus of diversity and emphasis on mental health has led to a more inclusive community. This change to a ‘learn-it-all’ culture means that challenges become opportunities.

This growth mindset is key to apprentices to find their feet on this journey. It also helps organisations create passionate, excited employees who want to acheive more.

Helping apprentices succeed in the hybrid workplace

In the new world of work, people have different expectations of the workplace. This includes apprentices. It’s a reflection of their experiences with technology. This means they may expect flexible devices and tools, or a remote working policy. We know that the last year means organisations may have already started building a hybrid workplace. Microsoft and YouGov research found that almost nine out of 10 employees report that their businesses have adapted to hybrid working. But you can’t forget to ensure you adapt your apprenticeship programmes to the hybrid workplace too.

We talked to current Microsoft apprentices to get some insight into how they have faced the changing world of work. We also spoke to some managers on how they can help apprentices in the hybrid workplace.

Building technical skills in apprentices

As I mentioned earlier, apprentices are a great way for organisations to develop technical capabilities in new technology such as AI. By utilising AI, organisations can streamline operations, discover new insights, deliver better customer experiences and more. But it’s not just important for apprentices to learn these skills. The ability to re- and upskill needs to be available to all employees – especially if you want to drive that growth mindset culture. It will make you more innovative, more competitive, more attractive to new talent and therefore – more profitable.

Despite digital acceleration in 2020, our recent report found 69 percent of UK leaders believe their organisation has a digital skills gap. Luckily, we have plenty of resources to share with organisations or people wanting to see how they can leverage AI or other technology:

• Achieve more with on-demand learning paths on Microsoft Learn.
• Learn how to create lasting business impact with the AI Business School.

Driving innovation with apprentices

At Microsoft, our apprentices and employees don’t just stop learning once they reach their certifications – they continuously upskill. This is because they live and breathe our growth mindset culture. Part of this is our work with AI for Good and how we help enterprises create better experiences. We heard from Vanessa Araújo, Microsoft Cloud Solution Architect about where the world is moving to with AI.

Vanessa spoke about the importance of responsible AI and Microsoft’s commitment to it. We learned all about what can go wrong with AI and how to mitigate those risks. Moreover, she also talked about how we all must be accountable and proactive when thinking about these concepts. Part of this is ensuring we have the digital skills and soft skills to understand how to responsibly use new technologies. In the new world of work, we will be increasingly working alongside AI. Therefore, it’s important for apprentices to learn digital and soft skills while they’re on the job. Not only to effectively do their work but be able to understand these important concepts to drive responsible innovation in the future.

We had a lot apprentices attending who were keen to understand the way in which things were moving. Vanessa told us about augmented reality and automation. How we can take advantage of low/no code solutions in Power Platform, for example, to streamline our own work without coding knowledge. Others were curious about how AI and accessibility works, and we learnt about how AI can help make interviews more accessible.

Helping us to achieve more

Our sessions during National Apprenticeship Week reflected the growth mindset culture of Microsoft. While we focussed on apprentices, what came through was Microsoft’s core belief that everyone is part of this journey. We collectively grew our curiosity, learnt new things, and have discovered many new opportunities with technology.

As we are optimistically looked towards the future, there’s no question that apprentices and a growth mindset will be a driving force in developing the innovation, competitive growth and resilience in our organisations.

Find out more

Learn about apprenticeships

Build your digital skills

About the authors

The post How apprentices drive competitive growth and innovation appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

This is why apprentices are so important. They give students both the soft and digital skills needed to pursue kick-start a career while getting training and accreditation. Apprentices are also good for business – 92 percent stay with the company they started with. They also provide organisations a cost-effective way to develop talent and get the right skills businesses need to stay competitive.

We speak to two Cloud Solution Architect Apprentices at Microsoft to discover why they took this career path, and how they’re planning to develop the skills needed to create technology that helps empower people.

Orla Fletcher-Dowd, Level 6 degree apprentice, Cloud Solution Architect 

Why did you choose to become an apprentice?

I chose to do an apprenticeship because I would be able to gain relevant, real-world experience while boosting my career prospects. Plus, I get to work for a world-class organisation all whilst gaining a degree.

However, at school the opportunity to learn about apprenticeships and the benefits they bring was not always there. By the time I had finished my A Levels I already had a place to study at university.

Despite this, during my gap year I decided to look into apprenticeships and what they had to offer. I was amazed to see the variety of opportunities that were out there, and as a result I applied to the Microsoft Apprenticeship Programme.

A day in the life of a Cloud Solution Architect Apprentice

As a fairly new apprentice, I am currently focusing on working towards my degree while exploring all aspects of the company. I’m aiming to get a better understanding of how an organisation like Microsoft works. As well as this, a lot of my work revolves around familiarising myself with Azure.

I’m also training in the Azure Portal, which is web-based, unified console that provides an alternative to command-line tools. It allows you to build, test and deploy applications and services.

Having the flexibility to study part-time, work as part of a team and get involved with stretch projects gives me the opportunity to not only improve my technical skills, but my soft skills as well.

What do you want to do in the future?

I am keen to explore the cognitive aspects of AI and machine learning. I’m particularly interested in conversational AI, image recognition and natural language processing – all of which mimics the way the human brain works. I want to help discover how these services can innovate solutions that can benefit both people and the environment.

A career as a Cloud Solution Architect will provide me with the relevant skills and experience needed to create these solutions, with the help of the cloud, and introduce new strategies/applications into the market.

I believe the cloud applications we’re seeing today are just the tip of the iceberg. As technology advances further, who knows what will be possible 10 years from now, but this is definitely something I want to be part of.

Davina Loures, Level 6 degree apprentice, Cloud Solution Architect

Why did you choose to become an apprentice?

I spent my youth engaged in extra learning – spending one-on-one time with teachers and at the age of 10 I moved straight from year 4 to year 6.  By 15, I was attending gifted and talented academic programs at universities like UCL and KCL every Saturday. The word ‘university’ was repeated by family members and teachers alike, to the point where this idea of attending daily lectures and exhausting myself with essay writing for the next three years of my post-sixth form life was firmly embedded in my mind.

But it didn’t excite me. As an avid tech enthusiast, I spent my days messing around and experimenting with my Raspberry Pi. I wanted to get stuck in ASAP and start making my mark in the digital world, which is why I opted for a gap year first before applying to university.

After scouring the internet for a placement to fill the year, I came across the Microsoft Apprenticeship Program. Upon passing my interviews and being offered a place at Microsoft, I proceeded immediately to break the news to my parents. They were over the moon once they learnt more about the program.

I am now a Cloud Solution Architect Degree Apprentice at Microsoft. This means I don’t have to wait three years before getting real-world experience and making an impact. I also still get the learning opportunity and support and a degree at the end to satisfy my parents. I couldn’t have thought of a more logical solution to my dilemma.

A day in the life of a Cloud Solution Architect Apprentice

There is no typical day. Every day is completely different from the last which aligns perfectly with the ever-evolving tech space.

The number of things to get involved in here at Microsoft are endless. In the short three months that I’ve been in the company, I’ve been involved in a number of hackathons which are fun, hands on team events run by Microsoft for employees and partners alike to skill up in specific technical fields. I’ve been able to build-up my technical skills, such as Azure. This has meant that I’ve already been able to gain a certifications for Azure

As well as this, I’ve also been exposed to numerous shadowing opportunities, allowing me to sit in on customer meetings and calls and learn more about the role in-person. The numerous tech huddles and team engagements that occur on a monthly basis opens the door for me to be able to network with people with people and learn with them.

Microsoft also has a massive early in careers community, meaning one can always relate to others in the same position. My favourite part of being an apprentice is being thrown into this learn-it-all, not know-it-all culture that embodies the company.

Everyone is so willing to give their time to explain things and help out when needed that it’s definitely accelerated my learning. The culture has to be the highlight of the company, which is why I love working here so much. Everything done here is literally helping to change the world, as well as making meaningful impacts on peoples day-to-day lives.

What do you want to do in the future?

As for what I want to do in the future, it’s still unclear. The exposure to the different opportunities you get as an apprentice are limitless. I know that as I journey through my next 4.5 years, my mind will be changed a hundred times as the technological generation continues to advance.

My hopes, however, are that my work can help out those less advantaged through the use of technology, and as stated in Microsoft’s mission statement to empower every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more.

Different apprentices for different roles

Not all apprenticeships are for technical roles. Apprenticeships can encompass a wide range of roles in your organisations – from sales to marketing all the way to finance and business. We’ve also chatted to three apprentices who work in business management and find out more about their experiences.

Futureproofing employees and organisations

By considering apprenticeships, Orla and Davina are futureproofing their careers. While they build vital early-in-career skills, technical accreditations, and even a degree, they’re developing into employees that are empowered to create and support the next generation of technology to help empower.

Organisations that bring in apprentices can help develop employees with the skills they need to stay competitive. Not only that, apprentices are more likely to stay loyal with the company they started with and remain there after their apprenticeship ends.

Find out more

 Learn more about apprenticeships

Read about our business apprentices

The post Meet the tech-enabled problem solvers of the future appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for young people to earn-while-they-learn, as they step into the first role of their digital technology careers. Read about why our business apprentices chose this path to kick-start their careers.

Lily Mears, Customer Success Business Manager, Level 4 Apprentice 

Why did you choose to become an apprentice?

I choose to become an apprentice because I knew the practical working and hands on experience suited my learning style better. I have never been one for soaking up knowledge in a classroom based environment so I needed an opportunity that allowed me to learn, on the job but also give me the opportunity to continue learning and gain qualifications.

The apprenticeship allows for you to take what you learn in the theory based content of your qualification and apply it to your day to day job role. From an early age, I’d had an interest in working in the business world, so being able to work for one of the largest organisations has been a real eye opener and a massive learning opportunity.

Can you explain a day in the life of your role?

A day in the life of a business management apprentice can change depending on the asks of the business area. I am a level 4 business management apprentice, working within the Customer Success department at Microsoft. My role is primarily internal with the opportunity for customer interactions on a peer to peer level. Day to day, I get involved in areas such as communications, events, travel and expenses, public speaking and strategic initiatives which contribute to the pillars of success for our business area.

No two days are the same and having a mix of responsibilities has given me a lot contextual insights into how a business runs to support my qualification. As an apprentice, you are also given 10% off the job hours which can go towards social impact and the apprentice community. With the social impact time, I like to visit local schools to talk through my journey and the things I’ve learned along the way with the hope to inspire other students to pursue the apprenticeship route.

What do you want to do in the future?

As a business, Microsoft have been hugely supportive of my early in career journey, helping me to reach my full potential and I’d love to secure a full time role here in the future. After completing my level 4 management consultancy qualification, I’m keen to continue developing my skills and my goal is to progress onto the business management degree.

Joel Roach, STU Degree Apprentice

Why did you choose to become an apprentice?

I’d heard about apprenticeships throughout sixth form, but I never paid much attention to them. I had decided early on that I wanted to be a therapist, which involved getting a psychology degree. After A-levels I stuck to the plan and went to university to study psychology. While I was at university, the reality of becoming a therapist became clear: there would be a lot of research and several years of studying before I ever sat down with a client. I was now studying a degree, and accumulating large amounts of debt, for a career I didn’t want.

I started to explore graduate schemes, to figure out what else I could do with my degree. This process involved looking up the names of big companies and seeing what they offered. Big companies like Microsoft. On the same page as the overview of Microsoft’s graduate scheme was information about their apprenticeship program. It said that I could be getting a degree while I worked full-time for one of the world’s most well-known companies, gaining four years of work experience, earning a salary and with no debt at the end of it. So why was I at university?

I applied for the apprenticeship at Microsoft and decided to finish university at the end of my first year. Eighteen months later I’ve settled into my role, and I’m really enjoying it. I get to work on and run projects that have a major impact at the company, and I’m learning things in my apprenticeship that I can use every day.

Can you explain a day in the life of your role?

My role has a broad scope, so everyday is different. Some of the areas I focus on are communications, department-wide events and diversity and inclusion. I’m also involved with the apprentice community at my organisation, this meant that I took part in the planning and running of an onboarding week for a new group of apprentices. I take one day each week away from the office to study for my apprenticeship. This involves reading, attending online lectures and working on assignments. I also attend workshops where I put the things I’m learning about into practice and gain feedback from tutors.

What do you want to do in the future?

After I’ve completed my apprenticeship, I’d love to transition into human resources, where I can actively help shape the workplace and improve the apprenticeship program from a higher level. I’ve got a few years to go before I finish but for now I’m really enjoying my current role.

Madeleine Ricci, STU Degree Apprentice

Why did you choose to become an apprentice?

Apprenticeships were not promoted or part of conversation at my school, so I began researching all possible options alongside the UCAS process. I found that the opportunities were endless and covered a much broader range of roles and industries than I had first imagined. Narrowing the search down to ‘business’ orientated roles in blue-chip organisations I started applying. The application process was a great learning curve and gave me exposure to different interview and questioning styles, and it made me reflect on what I wanted out of an apprenticeship against university.

It was a difficult to choose between two unknown worlds, and despite being accepted to 4 universities, I knew that if I was successful at getting an apprenticeship role, specifically at level 6, I would accept this over university – not just for the obvious reasons of having my degree paid for, learning on the job and no debt! But because I was keen to get into the world of work. The thought of another 3-4 years of a school-like environment with exams didn’t appeal to me. I also learned from my experiences in different summer placements that a high energy office environment helped me share my opinions and grow in maturity.

So far, my degree apprenticeship has made me become more self-motivated as I can see the impact of my learning in a real-life working environment which is really rewarding. It can be challenging to balance my role and study but learning to communicate and manage my time are invaluable life skills. The best thing about being an apprentice is the confidence you gain from being invested in as a person and being given the opportunity to succeed and add value to the business.

Can you explain a day in the life of your role?

Being an apprentice certainly doesn’t mean you will be assigned coffee runs and photocopying, in fact, you will find that many people want to meet with you over a coffee to discuss your future aspirations and how you are settling into the working world.

My role as a business operations associate in the management team of our sales department means that no two days are the same. I have found this role means I am a problem solver, a point of contact for over 300 employees, a data analytics reporter, an event organiser and much more. I love this role for its variety and ‘get stuff done’ atmosphere as my team works together to change processes, manage our brand reputation and control the day to day running of a department the size of most small businesses.

Outside of my team I love working with other departments across the business to share best practise to improve our business management functions as well as collaborating on different projects and events.

I love getting to work with like-minded people who are also ‘early in career’ as we can motivate and support each other with all aspects of developing a career in a world of industry professionals – something that can be daunting at first.

What do you want to do in the future?

I have learned over the last year of my apprenticeship that just because I am in a set business management role now, doesn’t mean this is for life.

Getting exposure to, and meeting people across the many departments at Microsoft has taught me a lot about myself and the business – and that it is often easier to know what you don’t like than what you do!

By creating lists of aspects of my role that give me energy and those that don’t, I have been able to narrow down a shortlist of criteria that I would want a future role to meet. For me, I am keen to find a role that incorporates operations, people management and events. These are areas I excel in and feel most confident with in my current role. At this stage in my career, I’m keen to keep doors open and explore all avenues.

Developing the skills for future technology

Lily, Joel, and Madeleine are working to become part of a future workforce that is collaborative, communicative, and supportive. With their training and skills, they’re getting ready to help empower people and organisations of now and in the future to be the best they can be.

We also spoke to two Cloud Solution Architects apprentices, who are getting ready to help create the technology that will empower us in the future.

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Find out more

 Learn more about apprenticeships

Read about our Cloud Solution Architect apprentices

The post Making impact: the value of apprenticeships as a route into the working world appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

The important part here is that someone gave me a chance. They took the risk and saw something in me which they felt could be of value to the business both then in the future. This gave me an opportunity to prove myself and it’s really important for me personally to pay this forward. Now that I am a hiring manager myself, I can give others that opportunity and that chance.

Apprentices, if recruited into the right role can be an amazing asset to the team and the broader business. Here’s five tips that managers can use to get the best from their apprentice. And at the same time, helping them grow into a fantastic employee within your organisation.

1.      Challenge them with projects

In my experience, apprentices work best when given specific long-term projects that are an integrated part of the broader teamwork that they can own. By giving them a project, you are helping them develop the confidence they need to succeed in the future digital workplace. It will give them vital planning, collaboration, and project management skills.

2.      Help them find their feet

Supervision, whilst not completely smothering, from a management approach is also the way forward. Apprentices need to find their feet; they need to feel responsibility and ownership for an area of the business and they need to be able to learn from it. Be there to help and guide them, but don’t micro-manage their work.

3.      Let them make mistakes

Apprentices need to know how it feels to make mistakes or to make the wrong decision. But, they need to do this in a controlled and risk-free environment. This will help them grow. I truly believe that apprentices should be in a position to make mistakes once and learn from them quickly.

4.      Create a culture of learning

Learning is extremely important. While they’re learning vital business skills it’s important to encourage your apprentices to gain qualifications relevant to their career. At Microsoft, we help apprentices gain new skills and qualifications via Microsoft courses and accreditations. We also help instil a culture of learning by sharing our digital skills programme with our apprentices and others outside of Microsoft too.

5.      Be open to their ideas

For me, it’s important to remember that apprentices can also teach us. As managers, we are here to coach, lead, and support. There’s also a lot we can learn from our apprentices too. They have a unique perspective and offer a different way of viewing the world. They’re often more in touch with how generations consume media, how younger consumers view influencers or how scepticism can overrule marketing. These are just a few of many elements that I learn from my current Early in Career team. There is so much more and they can add so much value if you give them a safe environment and the opportunity to voice their opinion.

A legitimate pathway to a great career

As someone who was adamant that I wanted to complete a vocational degree at University (BA Hons Business Studies), hiring apprentices into my team has changed my perception of the traditional route into the world of work through university.

As a student, if you can identify the right apprenticeship for you and for your future career ambitions then it’s a great way to not only develop your skills but obtain invaluable on-the-job experience to apply your learning.

As a parent of 10 year old twins, if they decided to complete an apprenticeship I would be super supportive.

As a manager, having an apprentice has really helped us increase our talent pool and enabled me to hire for the  skills I need to develop in my team. Apprentices have no preconceptions of how things should work and have really  helped us innovate with fresh, new ideas. 92 percent of apprentices stay with the company they started with which means you can retain the talent within your business and equip them with the skills your business will need to succeed in the future of work.

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Invest in the future of your workforce

About the author

I am a strong commercial marketer with over 10 years of management, profit and loss and team leadership experience across both retail and manufacturing. I am also passionate about supporting and mentoring others in her team and around the business, especially those early-in-career such as apprentices and graduates. I am a confident individual who can manage customer relationships and negotiate well with all key stakeholders both internal and external.

The post 5 steps to deliver a great apprenticeship experience: a manager’s guide to success appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Millennials, those people born in the 1980s-90s, grew up surrounded by technology. They are also becoming the largest generational cohort in the workplace. And as they move further into their careers, and as other generations come up through the ranks, we must ensure that we are able to meet their expectations for a modern workplace.

Meeting the expectations of millennials

Because they grew up alongside technology, millennials expect digital to be a large part of their work. And they expect to be given the tools to make them more efficient. Having flexible devices, tools and apps ­– which make it easy to collaborate anywhere and anytime – also addresses other key expectations that millennials will expect: flexibility and work-life balance.

Flexibility and mobility

Studies have shown that the higher the flexibility, the better the employee productivity, performance, and retention. The way one person works may not be the same as another. And according to FlexJobs’ annual work flexibility survey, 65 percent of respondents said they’d be much more productive if they could work at home.

By using cloud-based apps like Microsoft Teams to collaborate, you can keep employees productive no matter where they are. Employees can access their work from any device securely, allowing barrier-free collaboration.

Training and up-skilling

According to a Deloitte survey, 51 percent of millennials believe they will need to retrain as the use of AI increases. So invest in ongoing re- and up-skilling, particularly with new technology. To unlock the potential of AI, Microsoft has created the AI Academy, aimed at helping employees develop their AI skills. And as the research shows, businesses already on their AI journey are delivering 5 percent better outcomes than those that aren’t.

By providing employees with the tools to increase their knowledge, you’ll be on the path to better productivity, performance, and customer engagement.

Ensuring diversity

Millennials are also the most diverse generation we’ve seen in the UK. Due to this, they expect their workplace to reflect that. 83 percent of millennials are actively engaged when they believe their organisation fosters an inclusive culture. Millennials also have a positive opinion about the next generation entering the workforce, with 61 percent agreeing that Generation Z will have a positive impact, thanks to their digital skills and creativity.

Born from the late 1990s-2010s, Generation Z will be the first to make their steps into the workplace after millennials. Gen Z is even more digital-savvy, many having no memory of a pre-internet world. And because they have greater access to digital tools and devices, Gen Z consider themselves more creative than previous generations.

Preparing for future roles

By 2025, 65 percent of people will be doing jobs that don’t exist yet. Job responsibilities and skills will change. AI, automation, and IoT will disrupt jobs. But it will also create new and exciting roles. Creativity will become a higher-value skill, alongside digital proficiency, as future roles are shaped by new technologies.

To ensure we have talented people in our organisations, Microsoft has created a digital skills programme, to help everyone grow their technical skill set and gain digital proficiency. By committing to encourage your employee’s skills growth you will attract a diverse talent pool and have higher numbers of retention.

The value of apprenticeships

As Gen Z enter the workplace, apprenticeships are a great way for work-ready students to gain the technical and soft skills they need – not just now, but in the future. It provides real-world, on-the-job experiences that classrooms can’t. And it provides a passionate and loyal workforce, with 92 percent of apprentices staying  with the company they trained with.

As our world embraces new technology, we need to do all we can to ensure our future generations have access to the tools they need to succeed. This means fostering a culture of learning and collaboration. Making sure people can do their jobs creatively and flexibly, no matter where they are. By supporting the needs and expectations of your employees, you will have a more productive, innovative, and happier organisation.

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Name: Aksaya Thayaseelan

University: Birmingham City University – Business and Economics

Role: Customer and Partner Experience Intern

Description of Role:

Within the Marketing and Operations department, I sit in the Customer and Partner Experience team, which focuses mainly on the operations element. The team supports many different aspects across the business which concern the experience of our customers and partners throughout their journey with Microsoft. These include the quarterly survey from our customer and partners, developing successful customer stories, handling the operations of our internal customer account transitions, and more. My role is mainly supporting these different aspects by providing the correct data and resources, creating Power BI dashboards, and running programs such as the Champion awards. This award recognises exemplary employee work, management of the survey, and the cadence of the Voice of the Customer forum.

What does an average week look like?

Each week differs depending on what my focus is. However, I do ensure that I split my time between my job role and extra early in career project responsibilities as well as making time for personal development. I do this by allocating parts of my week to specific tasks. For example, the first few days I focus on delivering my role work. Half a day is dedicated to my early in career project and attending those meetings. Fridays are mainly spent developing my learning by using the resources provided by Microsoft to prepare for the Microsoft Office Specialist exams and the Microsoft Certified Professional exams. I am based in the Reading office, with some days spent in Paddington. I’ve had some exciting opportunities to go offsite for major Microsoft-hosted events such as Future Decoded.

Could you tell us about the highlights of the role?

One highlight is the freedom and opportunity to explore and pursue in different areas that I’m interested in outside of my role. Support from my manager and team has allowed me to dedicate part of my week to getting involved with other teams and looking at a customer and partner journey through a different perspective. This has included learning about how we implement our new products and services to our partners, which they can then use further for their business and customers. This, in turn, has led me to develop my technical knowledge through learning with bots, participating in and facilitating hackathons, and being able to sit data exams. Another amazing highlight has been my involvement in the DigiGirlz core team to inspire young girls across the country to take on STEM subjects, allowing me the opportunity to be part of a program with great social impact.

What has surprised you the most working at Microsoft?

At first, I was surprised by how much Microsoft values those who are early in career. This is promoted through the culture of continued learning and self-development. They give real responsibility and ownership of projects to interns and apprentices. For example, I project manage a quarterly program where I coordinate employees from different departments to bring together tangible outcomes that make an impact in the business. This assignment is something you might not expect from such a big corporation, showing just how much trust and investment Microsoft has in providing the best possible opportunities for interns and apprentices.

What has the transition from university to Microsoft been like?

I found the transition somewhat overwhelming at first. Getting used to the daily 9–5 working schedule compared to a few contact hours per week at university was difficult, but we all settled down quite quickly. My role is quite internally focused, so I spent my first few weeks really learning and focussing on the business structure, our products, and the value of the projects I would be working on. This was an overwhelming and exciting period for me, but the assistance from my team really made me feel at ease and supported during this transition.

What have been your personal highlights of the year?

One personal highlight has been the intern and early in career community, as it has created a comfortable place for me to grow and also work on aspects of myself that require more development. Another was being able to co-host six DigiGirlz events across various Microsoft UK offices and really maximise the impact to a wider range of year 8 girls to inspire them to take on STEM subjects. Not only did this fulfil my desire to create a social impact, it also allowed me to develop a different range of skills such as people and project management.

About the author

Aksaya Thayaseelan is a Customer and Partner Experience intern in Marketing and Operations. She is currently undertaking a placement year and is midway through a Business and Economics degree at Birmingham City University. Aksaya is interested in the experience that customers and partners face throughout their journey and anything related to inspiring women to get involved in tech.

The post A day in the life of a Customer and Partner Experience Intern appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

The aim of my stretch project, Campus 101, is to reach out to as many universities as we can and try to give people the confidence to apply to Microsoft. Sometimes people think they’re not from the right school or the right background to have a chance at being an employee here, but that’s just not the case. Microsoft thrives on diversity. Whether it’s neurodiversity, ethnic diversity, different backgrounds, experience, or gender. I wanted to help encourage everyone to challenge themselves to do more than they believe they can.

Giving students confidence

Campus 101 has several stages to encourage talented people and provide opportunities to empower them. Talented doesn’t always mean confident, so this is where the inspiring and empowering comes in. When I applied to Microsoft, I never thought I would get in. Now that I’m here, no one wants to see me leave!

We started off the year organising four events: Digital Transformation, Careers in Tech, Women in Tech, and Placement Insights. Each event was designed not only to showcase Microsoft culture and encourage people to apply, but also to let people from diverse backgrounds know that technology companies have a place for them. It was a great opportunity for me to able to teach people about technology and its culture. For example, we encouraged those who have studied business degrees that they could learn to program.

After that, we transition into visiting universities, going to campuses and talking with them on their home turf. This is a great opportunity for many of the interns to return to their universities and give back to the people and institution that got them here. I went to University of Reading where I made some great contacts and gained some incredible new friends.

Mentoring to help people succeed

Around three quarters of the way through our internships, we move into the next phase of Campus 101—helping with assessment centres. This is where we meet the new candidates, try to make them feel at ease so they can give their best, and help them start to feel like they are a part of the Microsoft family.

Regardless of whether you succeed at getting an internship, by the time you get to our doorstep you’re already a winner in my eyes. I not only tell the candidates that, but I often stay in touch with them and help guide them and their careers on LinkedIn—even if they go on to other great things besides Microsoft. I naturally have an energy and desire to help other people to succeed, and I’m boring enough to lecture them until they do.

“A simple act of kindness can create endless ripples.”

– Pushkar Saraf

The last part of Campus 101 is the Buddy Team, where we team up the successful applicants with a current intern in the same role. That way we can prepare the newbies for the jobs that they’ll be doing for the coming year. Plus, this helps them to start building their own community, which will be invaluable support for them during their year here.

What I’ve learnt about leadership

As we progressed through this year, I learnt that a leader isn’t someone who does all the work. If you do that, you’ll burn yourself out trying and not enough will get done. Instead, your job is to focus peoples’ efforts and get each task done as needed. When extra effort is required, it’s time to pitch in and make it happen. Being a part of the senior leadership in Campus 101 was a real pleasure. Helping all the teams and watching an army of talented interns running around organising everything was an incredible group effort. I now understand more about the managers that I’ve worked with over the years that I respect, more than I ever could have without Campus 101.

This is why I joined Campus 101—to give back to the institutions that got me where I am, to empower people to strive for the dreams they don’t know they can achieve yet, and to make sure the next lot of interns get to have the same Microsoft family that I’ve enjoyed while being here.

About the author

Adam is a Premier Field Engineer Intern. He studies Ethical Hacking and Cybersecurity at Coventry University. At Microsoft, he sits within the secure infrastructure department. As part of his engineering role he helps advise some of Microsoft’s largest customers about their infrastructure and help keep them secure. He also enjoys teaching digital skills that we all need for a brighter future, through both coaching sessions and big event days.

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As an intern at Microsoft, I’m lucky enough to work in an organisation that inspires us all to achieve more – not only in business but within the community too. Because they’re so passionate about this, part of my internship includes a ‘stretch project’. This is a project where we look for ways we can use our passion, skills, and knowledge to positively impact society.

The first step of starting a stretch project is to identify who you are and what kind of person you’d like to become. No stretch projects are bad by nature, nor any of them perfect by design. The most important thing is that most of them are empty vessels, moulded into something positive by your team. This gives room for you to make the change you’d like to see, step by step, and to begin flexing your leadership, collaboration skills, and creativity.

As part of Generation Z, I grew up alongside technology so working for Microsoft was an easy decision. But I have always been distinctly aware that not everyone gets to go on this same journey. Alongside a few others, we started Tech Pathways to ensure everyone can.

Tech Pathways is our stretch project. Our group of Microsoft interns work with young people to drive change. We help show that a career in technology is for everyone.

Bridge the gap

Our mantra is ‘bridge the gap‘. We want to ensure no one is left behind as the world embarks on a digital journey. This journey is as new to us—Generation Z—as it is to industry leads and those propelling this paradigm shift.

As I mentioned, the problem is that not everybody is invited on this digital journey. We have many fully capable young people who are seldom given the opportunity due to individual differences, including:

• Those who do not directly conform to mainstream education
• Families that fall under lower income brackets
• People who were not given the opportunity for behavioural reasons
• Those who are moving closer towards anti-social behaviour
• Those suffering from a debilitating physical or mental illness

As society begins to move forward and we rely more on digital technologies, it is important that we both personally and corporately give equal opportunity to all young people. We need to give them the confidence to adapt, rethink, and consider technology as a suitable industry to grow their skills and begin excelling in.

60 percent of future jobs haven’t been created yet. We should not underestimate the technology shift that is currently happening and how this might affect millions nationally. Nor should we underestimate how intimidating a corporate environment might be for someone who has never been in one.

How we drive change

Our aim is to turn young people’s notions of thinking a career in tech isn’t for them into something that’s possible – and exciting.

We run events through UK. They all have a fast-paced and action-packed agenda. It also includes plenty of chances for people to get hands-on with new technology. It keeps them (and us) as engaged as possible.

In past events, we’ve even held debates and product pitches that require creating inventive solutions. It’s plenty of fun, and that’s the point – a career in tech can be creative and exciting and we want to showcase this.

For those who are unable to visit us in person, we also use Microsoft social pages to livestream events. We aim to keep these as informal as possible, usually having a fireside chat about early-in-career routes or discussing technology myths.

One recent event saw a mixture of 16–24-year-olds enter our doors to learn all about apprenticeships. The idea of the day was not to only talk about Microsoft apprenticeships, but to speak objectively and remind young people that this career route is possible. In fact, it can be an even more effective route than university. The day included sessions on digital identity, a talk by Microsoft UK’s apprenticeship lead, experimenting with the HoloLens, and learning about the new digital revolution.

As a team, it’s important that we remind ourselves why we enjoy doing our work so much. It’s importance that young people find fulfilment in their work and, more importantly at their age, can envisage themselves enjoying work. Since I joined, I’ve enjoyed trying my hand at completely different roles within Microsoft. Everyone should be able to feel this way.

Would I have done anything different?

We live in a world where those who need help are often the hardest to get in contact with. My advice for anyone joining this team or any form of initiative would be to think creatively and try out some unique ways to drive the outcomes you are looking for.

No project will be without problems and the key word is communication. This has to be a core pillar when undertaking any project internally and externally. Set expectations, set ambitions, and work towards these whilst speaking up if you’re having problems and helping out others where it might be needed. Also, listen to what other people are saying when they talk to you, and take feedback and constructive criticism onboard.

Tech Pathways has helped me increase my skills in communication, collaboration, and creativity. I’ve immensely enjoyed working with a passionate group at Microsoft to help drive change in society and reach out to show young people that there are different pathways into exciting and fulfilling careers in technology.

A future for all

We need to ensure we all get involved in this journey to ensure we are all equally prepared for the future. This isn’t something that is only a stretch project. This is something we can all work together towards daily. By doing so, not only will we ensure everyone has the digital skills, but we’ll open up a career in tech to more people, creating a more diverse and innovative future for all.

If you want to get involved with Tech Pathways, drop a line to eduadvocate@microsoft.com. We’d love to find more ways we can help bridge the gap and get more young people considering a career in technology.

About the author

Jake is currently an undergraduate studying Media and Communication at Bournemouth University. Taking a year out to support the Commercial Legal team, Jake has a passion for technology and envisages its use for social change. During his day-to-day, Jake manages Microsoft’s Legal and Compliance Community, ensuring that our customers trust Microsoft as we develop our cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and work around data in this post-GDPR period.

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