Apprentices to get Microsoft treatment

Uden: there are a lot of channel players keen to take people on through this route

Microsoft has issued a call to action in the channel after securing government funding for its UK channel apprenticeship scheme.

Launched in September, the channel-specific National Partner Apprenticeship Scheme, part of Microsoft ‘Britain Works’ initiative, aims to skill up 3,000 apprentices over the next two years.

From February 2010, the first wave of 400 channel apprentices will be up for grabs, each one being provided with six months of intensive Microsoft technical training, courtesy of the government.

Stephen Uden, head of skills and economic affairs at Microsoft, said: ‘Getting government funding is no mean feat, but this makes it free to resellers apart from some admin costs. At the end of the six months, resellers have a fully trained technical support person on their staff.’

Uden said resellers will be able to choose their apprentice from a line up, who will spend several days a month working at the resellers’ premises, and the rest being trained at one of Microsoft’s 25 special training centres around the UK.

‘I know there are a lot of channel players keen to take people on through this route,’ he said. ‘All the apprentices have been fully screened as part of the recruitment process. We want to have lots of conversations with partners about this in the weeks to come.’

VAR Ridgian was one of the original seven Microsoft partners involved in the pilot scheme, and also helped the vendor formulate its apprentice strategy.
Managing director Jason Betteridge, said: ‘By having an apprentice you are not only tapping into the digital natives (18-30 year olds), but you know you are getting a person who is aware of the opportunity they have been given and is willing to work.’
To find out more about the scheme, send an email to britwork@microsoft.com.