Microsoft is thrilled to stand alongside the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) and Government Technical Cloud Community in inspiring you to expand your horizons and validate your expertise through certification.

Certification isn’t just a badge; it’s a game-changer for you and your team. According to a recent study by Pearson VUE, 92 percent of participants reported boosted self-assurance after achieving certifications. In addition, 79 percent felt a surge of respect from their colleagues, and 74 percent gained greater autonomy in their work.

Managers, take note – certified candidates bring substantial advantages too. 81 percent deliver higher-quality output, 72 percent exhibit enhanced efficiency, and 82 percent excel in mentoring and supporting their peers. To discover more, download the Pearson VUE 2023 Value of IT Certification report.

Whether you’re a tech-savvy pro or a beginner, we offer a range of learning opportunities to propel you toward certification success. From self-study resources to interactive virtual classes led by expert instructors, our offerings cater to various learning styles. And we’ve teamed up with our valued learning partners to provide even more options.

Who can access these training resources?

Civil Servants with a gov.uk, gov.scot, gov.wales, nhs.uk, police.uk or sch.uk email domain are eligible to claim exam discounts, access ESI training and submit a claim for a certification prize. Additional training opportunities on this page, including Cloud Skills Challenges, Virtual Training Days and our Azure Connected Learning Experience, are open to all.

Learning resources on this page

Let’s start with AI

• AI skills challenges
• Cloud skills challenges*
• Azure Connected Learning Experience*

Exams and certifications

• Discounts
• Practice assessments and support*
• Certification prizes**

Live training sessions

• Virtual Training Days*

Additional support

• Microsoft Learn*
• Microsoft Learning Partners**
• Achieve more with Microsoft

*Open to all
**Eligible participants only

Getting started

There’s a world of learning available for you from Microsoft, but knowing where to start can be daunting. This page brings together some great resources to help you get certified in October.

Where to start will depend on what you want to learn, and how:

• Our Fundamentals certifications are great for IT pros looking to start their certification journey from the beginning – or for anybody else that wants to learn more about an area, or understand the art of the possible. These are broken down by area: certifications are available for Azure Fundamentals, AI Fundamentals, Data Fundamentals, Power Platform Fundamentals, Security Fundamentals and more.

• Prefer to learn through self-study?  Sign up for one of our free Cloud Skills Challenges that offer a curated collection of content that gives you the knowledge you need to pass the exam. These skills challenges run until the end of October and you can join as many as you like. Looking for more advanced content for self-study? Check out the content on Microsoft Learn or email us at OctCertHelp@microsoft.com and we’ll help you find what you need.

• Prefer video-based learning? Our Virtual Training Days are just for you. Offering a range of Fundamentals and non-certification content, these free classes are open to all. Look out for the non-certification classes if you’re looking for something more specific and technical.

• Need a little help with exam preparation? Our Azure Connection Learning Experience offers curated learning and exam preparation for a number of Microsoft certifications if you need extra help getting across the line.

• Check out the free sessions and other training from our valued learning partners. These links will take you to additional free classes that can support your learning. They include webinars, instructor-led classes, such as free Azure Administrator and Cybersecurity Architect training from Fast Lane.

When you feel ready, try one of our Practice Assessments to test your readiness before booking your exam. Don’t forget to utilise your ESI exam discount (50%) when booking. Make the exam free by claiming an additional discount and once you’re certified, complete the CCDO form for a chance to claim some great Microsoft swag.

Let’s start with AI

We’ve pulled together a wide array of learning opportunities, from foundational to more advanced role-based content. This includes some great study fundamentals on Azure, Data, AI, Power Platform and Security, together with some exciting content around Generative AI.  

AI skills challenges

There is a massive amount of interest in this area currently, and it’s worth hearing from Angie Heise, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Worldwide Public Sector, on how Artificial Intelligence could support public sector organisations. Read this post from Angie Heise to understand some of the potential implications that advanced AI can have for the public sector, especially in areas such as citizen services, internal efficiencies, working with deep data and creative support.

To further expand your AI understanding and skills:

• Register for our Microsoft Build: AI Day at ExCeL London on October 19, 2023. This free one-day, in-person event helps developers discover new opportunities with AI and enhance their knowledge and skills to deliver more value using AI and Microsoft Azure. Join Microsoft product and engineering experts, and industry disrupters, to share ideas and unleash creativity with the power of AI.
  
• Register for our Career Essentials in Generative AI course and gain a Professional Certificate. This free course explains the core concepts of Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI functionality, preparing you to apply Generative AI in your own career.

• Register for our 1-day Master Class: OpenAI ChatGPT Capabilities, Use Cases and Integrations on October 27, 2023. This exclusive one-day (Fast Lane developed) course provides AI users and business decision-makers with a comprehensive introduction to the technology, key functionalities and pricing, an understanding of its capabilities and limitations, best practices, and the chance to find out how you can incorporate ChatGPT technology to support your business today.

Keen to find out more about AI and Azure? Check out these great resources to get you started:

If you’re looking for even more content on Generative AI, please check out this AI Learning Companion pathway.

Cloud skills challenges*

You can also invest in your learning by participating in our fun and friendly cloud skills challenges.

Compete Track your progress using the leaderboard as you navigate Microsoft’s digital learning platform Microsoft Learn.

Learn Sign up for one or more challenges and work through the content at a time that works for you.

Develop Skills Check out the practice assessment on the exam page to make sure you are exam-ready before taking advantage of exam discounts to get certified.

Choose your challenge:

Azure Connected Learning Experience*

Microsoft Azure Connected Learning Experience (CLX) is an experiential training programme that sets a path for you to become an Azure expert. The CLX programme offers a personalised journey that aims to optimise your learning experience while maximising your return on time invested. 

The four-step programme is designed to deliver exam readiness with a personalised learning journey that’s curated to meet your needs.  

• Register to receive recommendations on specific modules to study, elevate your understanding with practice tests and comprehensive Microsoft Learn study materials, and access on-demand hands-on labs and interactive guides to elevate your practical insights.  
• Join multiple instructor-led cram sessions hosted by world-class industry experts who will guide you to be ready for your first or next Azure certification exam.  
• Prepare at your own pace and crack your Azure Certification Exam efficiently. 

Register for the Microsoft Azure Connected Learning Experience

Exams and certifications

Discounts

If your organisation is enrolled in the Microsoft Enterprise Skills Initiative (ESI) you’ll have access to a 50 percent discount on a range of exams, making your certification journey even more accessible.

Our Claiming Your Exam Discount guide walks you through the steps to claim your discount and schedule your exam. We’ve even reserved a limited number of exam vouchers that stack on top of the ESI discount, reducing your exam cost to zero.

Don’t miss out – secure your spot by completing the Microsoft exam voucher application form.  

The additional vouchers are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’ve missed the opportunity, you might be able to reclaim this balance payment from your Learning and Development (L&D) team, if the certification supports your current role. Please check with them first.  

If you have any questions about the programme or claiming your exam discount, please contact us at OctCertHelp@microsoft.com.  

Practice assessments and support*

You can gear up for success with our range of free practice assessments. These invaluable tools allow you to fine-tune your skills before the big exam day. Check out the exam page for each assessment to access these practice resources – or follow the links below for some of our most popular ones:

Need help or advice on what content you should start with, or what is most relevant to your role? Perhaps you have a technical question or want to discuss your project with a Microsoft SME. We’re only an email away at OctCertHelp@microsoft.com. Alternatively, why not join one of our many drop-in sessions running through October:

Certification prizes**

We believe in celebrating your achievements, so we’re also delighted to let you know about our certification prizes. Simply complete the certification prizes claim form provided by CDDO, who will then share your details with us. The first 200 to correctly provide the requested proof of a certification achieved in October 2023 will receive a special Microsoft swag voucher in their inbox.

Please note that prize claims are subject to the following terms and conditions:

• Claims will only be accepted from customers of a participating government department. Personal email addresses won’t be considered.
• By completing and submitting the CDDO form, you agree to us validating your certification and contacting you about your claim.
• Certificate prizes are limited to the first 200 submissions and will be sent to UK postal addresses only.
• One prize per customer, regardless of the number of exams passed during the event.
• Claims must be submitted by Friday, November 10, 2023, 12:00 p.m. (GMT+1). Claims received after this date won’t be considered.
• Prizes are non-negotiable, non-transferable and non-refundable. No cash alternative is available.

For any questions, please contact OctCertHelp@microsoft.com.

Live training sessions

Virtual Training Days*

Microsoft Virtual Training Days are free, in-depth virtual training events covering foundational concepts, terms, and capabilities. A great alternative (or complement) to self-study to get you ready to earn your Fundamentals certification.

Additional support

Microsoft Learn*

Microsoft Learn. Spark possibility.

Build skills that open doors. See all you can do with documentation, hands-on training and certifications to help you get the most from Microsoft products. Access a range of self-study resources at Microsoft Learn. For a collection of Microsoft resources aligned to role and certain products, please also see www.aka.ms/pathways.

Microsoft Learning Partners**

Microsoft Learning Partners can help you get the most out of your organisation’s technology investment, building knowledge and new skills in Microsoft technologies through classroom training or Microsoft Official Courses On-Demand. Our learning partners are proud to support this skills initiative – please check their details below.

Fastlane

Fast Lane is uniquely positioned among a select few globally, having achieved all six Microsoft solution designations. Fast Lane’s approach is not just about education; it’s about practical, hands-on skilling that tackles the intricate realms of Cloud, Data, AI, and Security. With a highly targeted and tailored approach, Fast Lane doesn’t just teach – it solves real-world challenges. Through precise alignment with and a deep understanding of Microsoft’s ecosystem, Fast Lane empowers individuals and organisations with the skills needed to thrive in today’s complex technological landscape.

Find out more about Fast Lane’s support for this skills initiative and also register for its free ChatGPT 1-day webinar and free virtual instructor-led classes on Azure Administrator (AZ-104) and Cybersecurity Architect (SC-100).

Firebrand

Firebrand is proud to be a Microsoft Cloud Partner. It is one of a number of companies in the world to have received this badge through proven expertise in delivering quality solutions across six specialist business areas: Business Applications (Dynamics 365 and Power Platform), Data & AI, Infrastructure, Digital & App Innovation, Modern Work and Security.

Find out more about Firebrand

QA

QA is one of the largest Microsoft Learning Partners in the UK, and one of the only Microsoft Learning Partners to be recognised as a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Microsoft Cloud. QA offers a broad range of training in Microsoft technologies and applications, including cloud technical skills (from Azure to Office 365) and office apps (from Excel to Power BI).

Find out more about QA

Skillsoft

(Coming soon.)

Achieve more with Microsoft

We’re genuinely excited for you to seize this opportunity to embark on a transformative learning journey. As you equip yourself to learn and take on new career challenges, you may soon be ready to distinguish yourself as a public sector change agent.

If you have any questions or need guidance on where to start, our dedicated team is here to help. Please reach out to us at OctCertHelp@microsoft.com, and we’ll be delighted to help you on your path to success.

Let’s elevate your skills and make your mark together!

*Open to all
**Eligible participants only

About the author

Paul is the Microsoft UK Public Sector Skills Lead with over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. He is passionate about cloud computing, and how learning can power digital innovation and transform careers. Paul is currently leading the development of training programmes for Microsoft’s public sector customers across Central Government, Local Government and Policing, helping individuals and organisations realize the benefits of their investment in Microsoft solutions.

The post Introducing a world of opportunities: advance your skills with Microsoft appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

The teams who develop and manage these solutions – developers – are at the heart of the organisation. They’re critical in enabling your organisation to respond to your customer’s needs.

And when it comes to digital innovation, speed is crucial but so is having a structured plan in place. At the same time, innovation is open to everyone. Therefore, organisations need the right tools to create a culture of innovation.

Professional developers can use Visual Studio and GitHub to modernise existing and develop new applications.

You can also empower a new stream of innovation– citizen developers. These employees understand a business process and want to improve on it but might not have the developer expertise. Now with Power Apps, they can use low/no code solutions to build what they need.

Here are six ways to build a customer-centric culture by empowering your developers.

Move to the public cloud

Innovation happens faster in the cloud. Whether you need to modernise existing applications, simplify complex environments or create new apps, you can benefit from the scalability and flexibility of Azure. Developers can build on a secure foundation in any language or foundation, from anywhere.

Simplify complex and distributed environments across multiple clouds and edge environments with Azure Hybrid cloud solutions. Bring Azure management to your entire IT estate and run Azure services anywhere.

As the UK’s leading omnichannel payments business, PayPoint needs to maintain business as usual while managing increasing demand for its services. With Azure, they were able to respond with agility and even develop and deploy new functionality without downtime to customers.

Shorten time-to-market

According to a Gartner survey study, positive customer experiences drive more revenue, higher employee satisfaction and greater customer retention.

Organisations have a strong sense of urgency in going digital. This is driving demand for tools and services that shorten time-to-market and drive those positive customer experiences.

With tools like Azure DevOps and Visual Studio Code, with automation through DevOps Pipelines, GitHub Actions, the ability to streamline business processes with Power Automate and more increases the efficiency of your developer teams. They can then focus on innovating the customer experience.

Reassess investments

Customers increasingly expect products and services that factor in what they care about – be that macro topics like climate impact, or micro impacts such as their experience interacting with your products.

To meet these demands, organisations must find new ways to deliver service at scale. They need to focus on and connect with the customer experience – no matter how many business units, systems, supply chains and processes that customer journey may span. And do this all while reducing costs.

This requires a new way of thinking.

Many organisations are starting by setting a strategic approach and thinking of themselves as a software company first. Then, they’re leveraging digital technology to deliver on their vision.

Solutions built using the Azure platform offer near-instant provisioning of resources. This lowers innovation costs and enables a faster time-to-market. In fact, Forrester found the average cost to develop an application is 74 percent less with Power Apps.

Empower developers

According to McKinsey & Company, organisations with developer velocity experience four to times faster revenue growth, 60 percent higher return to shareholders, and 20 percent higher operating margin.

Unleash the creative energy of developers by leveraging Azure innovation tools. This enables them to build productively, foster secure collaboration, and remove barriers so they can scale faster innovation at lower cost.

Help them build the skills they need to bring ideas to life with certifications and training. Give developers autonomy, decision making and automate back-end processes so they can focus on bringing innovation.

Drive citizen development

Over 86 percent of organisations already struggle to hire developers. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2023, there will be four times as many end-user or citizen developers, compared to experienced developers in enterprises.

Empower the people closest to the problem to become citizen developers and solve problems themselves. With low/no code solutions like Power Apps anyone, regardless of their technical capability, can work together on the same platform to create solutions with a high level of agility.

Heathrow Airport employees have eliminated 75,000 pages of paperwork and reduced data entry by nearly 1,000 hours through the low-code development of 30 apps, helping the airport reduce its costs.

Infuse intelligence

The applications that both developers and citizen developers are building are powering important customer centric business processes. By applying AI and machine learning, organisations can infuse intelligence with real-time personalisation and serve up customised algorithms.

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, uses Azure’s integrated platform with AI to build an algorithm that predicts bed space utilisation. The data is then available on Power BI so healthcare employees can quickly and simply understand the insights.

Empower developers to build a customer-centric culture

By unleashing the full potential of developers and citizen developers, organisations will enable growth, solve a wide range of business problems, and drive digital modernisation.

According to McKinsey, organisations with a developer mindset have 4 to 5 times higher revenue growth and 55 percent higher innovation.

Build a growth mindset culture where developers can drive innovation from anywhere, powered by a comprehensive portfolio of technology that complements your business needs.

We are the only company that has that full stack that spans across the breadth of both tech adoption and tech capability to build, and ultimately increase your chance of succeeding.

Find out more

Resources for leaders:

Watch the webinar: Unleash your developers to innovate

Take the Developer Velocity Assessment

Imagine digital innovation that makes a difference

Deliver a seamless experience with real impact

Build a growth mindset

Make app building easier

Resources for developer teams:

Explore the Dev Hub

Watch Microsoft Build on demand

Get certified

About the author

Denise leads the the digital and app innovation team, working directly with customers to uncover new opportunities. She has over 20 years’ experience in transformation leadership and business change delivery. With a proven ability to drive growth, innovation and performance turnaround across complex organisations, she has delivered new cloud services, automated processes and ways of working across the largest banking system in the UK.

The post The developer-customer connection: Why dev-centred cultures are customer-centric cultures appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Join the Learn Live Azure Hybrid Cloud Study Hall on Microsoft Learn TV!

At Microsoft we strongly believe that Hybrid Cloud is an important concept for our customers and partners. When it comes to our Azure Hybrid Cloud offerings, we are not just offering a one size fits all solution, we are offering a set of different services and solutions that our customers can leverage depending on their needs. We offer a whole range of solutions, including Azure Stack Hub, Azure Arc, Azure Stack HCI and many more.

To learn more, you can join us for the new Azure Hybrid Study Hall series. This fourteen-part weekly series will answer your questions live, walk through how to configure, deploy, manage your hybrid cloud resources using services and hybrid cloud technologies, and walk through Microsoft Learn modules focused on Azure Arc and Azure Stack HCI.

You will learn how you can manage your on-premises, edge and multi-cloud resources, and how you can deploy Azure services anywhere with Azure Arc and Azure Stack.

The series will kick off on April 14th and will have two new episodes every Thursday. Join us then!

Learn more

• This article was written for the Monthly TechNet UK IT Pro Newsletter – sign up today!
• New Azure features and functionality for March 2022
• How to get started with Microsoft certifications

The post Learning Azure Hybrid Cloud skills with Learn Live on Microsoft Learn TV appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

In July, I began a new role at Microsoft, which has meant that I have spent most of the summer feeling like the new girl at school.

It can be an unsettling feeling, after a long time knowing exactly what to do in almost every situation, to suddenly feeling that you know very little. Almost nothing makes sense and you’re quite unsure of where you can add value.

It is, however, also incredibly exciting (not to mention quite tiring!) to spend most of every day learning.

Be a learn-it-all not a know-it-all

Microsoft’s embrace a ‘learn-it-all’ culture – as opposed to a ‘know-it-all’ – encourages everyone to regularly take time out of our working week to learn something new, and experiment with innovative ideas.

We know these might fail. But even in failure, we’ll have learnt something. Whilst we have been living this growth mindset culture for some years now, it’s rare that we get the opportunity to be immersed in learning almost all the time.

Whilst most of us in the Western world have been fortunate enough to have access to education, globally, it remains out of reach for 72 million children – 54% of them girls. These girls can only dream of the most basic education, let alone worrying about ‘upskilling for the future’.

But upskilling for the future is essential if we’re to harness the value that technology offers us. Already, we’re beginning to see how technology like digital whiteboards is transforming the classroom experience. I have colleagues working to improve education from the ground up in remote areas. And, in my extended role as Vice-Chair of the Women@Microsoft UK board, I’m proud to be able to help introduce new learning opportunities to women here in the UK, both inside and outside Microsoft.

Introducing Data Science bootcamps

I’m not only passionate about encouraging personal development in others. Here at Microsoft, I’m privileged to be able to continue my own learning journey.

The Internet of Things is one area I’ve focused on, learning about the technical aspects behind this incredible, transformative technology. Not only that, I’ve written my very first machine learning model, taken a neuroscience leadership course, and have completed the second module of my Social Psychology degree.

Not everyone has access to these learning opportunities. I wanted to bring some of them to women across the UK – and that idea led us to our Data Science Bootcamps. Launched on International Women’s Day, these bootcamps were designed to give women a first step into the world of data science. I did this for two reasons: I wanted to bring the learning from the inside out, and also there are simply not enough data scientists in the UK for us to really leverage the data-driven world we now live in.

We held nine bootcamps across eight locations. 660 women applied for positions. With only room for 100, we accepted 120, expecting a drop out, and 96 turned up. Of the 96 people that attended, 52 have completed at least their first certificate in Microsoft’s online data science course. Some have gone on to complete many more, and are well on their way to their first qualification in the subject.

Of course, there’s a lot more to data science than an online course of 10 modules, but this gives learners the basics from which to build.

As Maggie Woodward, who attended the Glasgow bootcamp, hosted by our partner, Incremental Group told us:

‘Although this module, and the rest that make up the Microsoft certification in Data Science, can be studied online, it was far more beneficial to attend this bootcamp to learn and share with like-minded peers, as well as hear the experiences of senior women in the field of data science. The staff and office at Incremental were very welcoming, and although we covered a lot, it didn’t feel rushed. It was great to get the certificate of completion, and a proud addition to my CPD. Best of all, a few months after attending, my employer advertised an opportunity for a Graduate Apprenticeship in Data Science. Armed with my learning from the bootcamp, as well as the industry knowledge from our hosts, I created a strong application that was accepted. I’m looking forward to starting my degree this September.’

Skilling up for the future

Our ultimate goal with these bootcamps is to enable women returning to work, or transferring from other fields, to learn a new skill, and find a new role somewhere in the world of tech.

While these positions exist at Microsoft HQ, working with our partners means those attending the events could look for local work in these fields. Whilst the women who attended these events have been busy continuing their studies at home, we’ve been planning a series of ‘Careers Fairs’ with each of the partners that hosted an event. This gives them an opportunity to re-engage with their host partner, understand more about potential available roles, get CV tips and advice, and generally set themselves up to pursue a career in data science.

Our initial Data Science Bootcamps were very much a pilot scheme. We’ve learnt so much from these events – because, after all, we do see every experience as an opportunity to learn – and we’re now keen to give even more women a boost in the tech world.

If you like the sound of exploring data science and would be interested in attending a future bootcamp, email womenindatascience@microsoft.com.

Until the next bootcamp, I’m going back to an online course learning more about IoT Edge and Azure Sphere. I hope you have the opportunity to learn something today, this week or this month. If you don’t know where to start, Microsoft Learn is a great first step!

Find out more

Microsoft Learn

AI Business School

Digitally transforming Healthcare: Learn the how to, the what and the why

What we get wrong about people

How to navigate squiggly careers in today’s digital workplace

About the author

Ella is a business development manager for IoT at Microsoft EMEA, where she also enjoys an additional role as Vice-Chair of the Women @ Microsoft UK board. Working in technology, Ella spent a lot of time in the early part of her career being the only woman in the room. Determined to re-address the balance in any way she can, Ella is passionate about creating inclusive environments, harnessing the power of both genders, and inspiring the next generation into technology. She is a STEM Ambassador and a Modern Muse. 

The post The joy of learning: How our data science bootcamps empower women appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.