Elly Yates-Roberts |
Microsoft has reached over 10 million learners through its digital skills initiative launched in July 2020. The project, which was developed in collaboration with LinkedIn and GitHub, has helped users access popular learning resources in topics including software development, customer service and data analytics.
The initiative was launched with the aim of helping 25 million people worldwide gain more digital skills in 2020. Of the 10 million learners reached so far, 1.5 million are in the Asia Pacific.
“Covid-19 has accelerated the need for upskilling and transformed the future of work for communities across the region,” said Ahmed Mahzari, president of Microsoft Asia. “Addressing and closing the skills gap is an urgent task, key to inclusive economic recovery and digital transformation in Asia. While we are close to the halfway point of our goal to help 25 million people globally, we continue to strive in our commitment to drive societal progress and help improve lives of people in Asia by advancing their capabilities and expertise.”
Microsoft says that by bringing new digital skills to underserved populations and reskilling those impacted by Covid-19, the company will continue to help build the diverse workforce of the future.
“It’s exciting to see the great progress we have made towards helping job seekers get the skills they need to land their next job,” said Olivier Legrand, Asia Pacific managing director of LinkedIn. “In Asia Pacific, markets such as India and Australia are seeing strong growth in engaged learners. We are continuing to share insights on in-demand jobs and have expanded programmes like LinkedIn Coaches to empower job seekers facing barriers to grow their careers and expand their networks through career conversations and LinkedIn trainings.”