Microsoft has helped over 30 million people in 249 countries and territories gain access to digital skills, of which over 30,000 of them are from Sri Lanka. This tops its initial goal of 25 million last June. Microsoft Corp. is also extending its commitment to help 250,000 companies globally make a skills-based hire in 2021.
From laid-off factory workers to retail associates and truck drivers, millions of people turned to online learning courses from GitHub, LinkedIn and Microsoft during the pandemic to help prepare for and secure the most in-demand roles, including customer service, project management and data analysis.
The announcement, detailed on the Official Microsoft Blog, builds on the company’s efforts to help people by extending through 2021 free LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft Learn courses and low-cost certifications that align to 10 of the most in-demand jobs.
“Sri Lanka’s economic growth and competitiveness will require the development of new digital skills, among a substantial part of the workforce,” said Microsoft Sri Lanka Country Manager Hasitha Abeywardena.
“One of the biggest challenges we face today is to educate our future workers to fit into a fast changing, technology-driven, world of work. Together with LinkedIn, we are doubling our efforts to re-design work in the country by supporting the development of a more inclusive skills-based labor market. By creating more alternatives, greater flexibility, and accessible learning paths will connect people readily, with new job opportunities.”
LinkedIn plans to help 250,000 companies globally make skills-based hires this year through new and existing hiring products.
The pilot of LinkedIn Skills Path, a new way to help companies hire for skills.
New expressive and personalized LinkedIn profile features will help people share more about themselves, their career and goals in a more authentic and engaging way. Expanded access to LinkedIn’s Skills Graph will help create a common skills language for individuals, employers, educational institutions and government agencies to help improve workforce planning, hiring and development programs.
Olivier Legrand, Managing Director & Vice-President, Asia Pacific & China, LinkedIn said, “More and more, we are seeing skills-based hiring becoming critical in our world of work. We’ve seen people across the globe express a desire to learn and build their skills, and organizations too, are hiring based on skills instead of traditional qualifications.
LinkedIn, together with Microsoft, are committed to helping everyone shift towards a skills-based economy. In 2021, we will continue our efforts to equip job seekers with the right resources to pick up new skills, and connect them to opportunities, as well as aim to help 250,000 organizations make a skills-based hire.”
As part of the initiative, Microsoft has worked closely with its nonprofit partners to help provide wrap-around support with coaching, mentoring and networking to nearly 6 million learners worldwide.
0 comments: