Microsoft broadens its apprenticeship scheme
Initiative is aimed at tackling youth unemployment as well as helping the long-term unemployed get back to work
Microsoft is set to unveil two new training strands for its Apprentice scheme in the new year to encourage more young people and long-term unemployed back to work.
The software giant launched its channel specific National Partner Apprenticeship Scheme, part of its Britain Works initiative, in September last year.
It has secured millions of pounds of government funding for the scheme and aims to train up to 3,000 apprentices by the end of the project.
Stephen Uden (pictured), head of skills and economic affairs at Microsoft, said: “Youth unemployment is a problem and it is still rising. There is a real danger for young people not getting the opportunities in the job market and we have people in the channel that are looking for skilled people. There are certainly lots of bright young people in the UK and apprenticeships bring the two together.
Its current apprentices are being trained up in technical support skills, but from January, Microsoft will start pilot schemes in software and web development, and technical sales. Both will be piloted through a handful of selected Microsoft partners before being opened up later in 2011.
Uden said the Microsoft scheme currently has 200 companies involved, but many more are starting to show an interest.
“The feedback from both sides has been positive,” he said. “The young people have found it very useful, and our partners have said it is helping them to fill the skills gap. More are coming forward. They like apprentices as they can define what skills their apprentice needs, rather than them being trained by someone else.
“It is a fantastic way to get more talent into our industry and the apprentices know they have a job at the end of it,” he said.
One partner who is fully emerged in the scheme is David Barker, founder of WhiteboxDigital. His company is not only an IT provider but also has its own training academies dotted around the UK, which use Microsoft-devised digital learning technology and online learning to help its students learn new skills.
“Five years ago, I left the web industry to tackle poverty and unemployment. I sold my house to set up a programme to spend time with and help people affected by unemployment. The problem with the skills gap is that a lot of people went through education, but it didn’t work,” he said.
He added that the training is split into two sections– the first focuses on training and certification and the second is on-the-job training, which involves sourcing local businesses that want to take on an apprentice.
But he said the scheme was not just aimed at school leavers. “We don’t just focus on the young people, we cover people from 16 to 65,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are, everyone should have the chance of an apprenticeship if they need one.
Barker said that WhiteboxDigital has big expansion plans for the future.
“Ultimately, our vision is to be in every town and city in the UK,” he said.
“We can create the job placements for our students and even though the market keeps shifting, we can keep our training contemporary because we also have the IT side of the business to provide experience for our students,” he added.