Microsoft Creating Skills Training and Apprenticeship Opportunities 

Microsoft have asked me to let people know about their "Britain Works" initiative  aimed at  helping 500,000 people in the UK  into jobs over the next three years. This program could provide real opportunities for any of your constituents who are unemployed and would like help and support in developing their digital literacy skills with a view to finding a job.

Microsoft say "Some 77% of jobs across all sectors of the economy require the use of computer skills in some form, so the initiative – delivered through a combination of new national apprenticeships, targeted skills and employability training and a new job matching service – will help people looking for work across the whole breadth of the job market. We are working with our partners, NGOs and local government to deliver this initiative.

Britain Works is available free to any of your constituents or local organisations who you think could benefit from this programme, including a potential cash grant to charities involved with delivering employability services (open until 22nd September). They can find all the details on how this initiative can help them or how they can get involved at: www.microsoft.com/uk/britainworks or by calling the Britain Works Helpline on  0800-111-4341  0800-111-4341 ."

Microsoft have provided the following  Background information on ‘Britain Works’

Microsoft has been concerned for many years about the importance of ensuring that people in Britain have the skills necessary to help support them find employment.

We have been working for the last three years in the Black Country, with a network of 135 community based learning centres. Through these we have skilled 28,00 people and enabled several thousand to find employment. The project also included a pilot of a Partner Apprenticeship Programme, where unemployed people were trained as technical support and engaged as apprentices by Microsoft’s SME partners in the West Midlands.

We are now building on this success. Through a combination of a new national apprenticeship, targeted skills and employability training and a new job matching service, Microsoft will work with its partners, NGOs and local government to help people back into work in the areas of the economy which will help lead our economic recovery.

There will be five main elements to the Britain Works programme:

1. Partnerships with NGOs

Microsoft will build on existing relationships and create new partnerships with employment focussed NGOs to support their work in getting hard-to-reach people back to work. Support for NGOs will be in the form of cash, software and volunteering time. The cash grant application is now open for charities to apply; deadline is 22nd September. If you know of charities in your constituency who offer services on employability we would like to hear from them, please contact us for further information.

2. Apprenticeships

The Partner Apprenticeship programme will be rolled out from the pilot area in the West Midlands to become a national scheme. Potential apprentices are selected by JobCentre Plus and recruited by local Microsoft partners looking to take on technical support professionals.  The apprentices are trained by a Microsoft IT Academy and after 6 months are working full time for the partner. 

3. Technology startups

Through its BizSpark programme, Microsoft is supporting the creation of thousands of software development jobs in new technology startups.  The programme provides software, support, networking, access to finance and other resources through a number of network partners.

A new job matching and training service for those engaged in the IT industry, MSEmploy, will also be launched in the coming weeks and will help match vacancies amongst Microsoft’s partner network of 32,000 companies with people seeking employment.

4. Training Vouchers

Microsoft will make available up to £45 million of “Skills for Business” training vouchers to enable selected client groups access the skills for the digital economy.  These vouchers will be delivered primarily through UK Online and the Wise Group as part of their efforts to support local employment opportunities.

5. Britain Works Skills Portal

Microsoft provides a considerable amount of no and low cost training covering everything from basic digital literacy to productivity tools.  For the first time we have brought together all these resources into a single skills portal where beginners, business users, students, technical specialists and entrepreneurs can access all the skills and opportunities provided by the Britain Works programme. Web address is www.microsoft.com/uk/britainworks