The Pandemic's Impact: It's Time to Upskill Now

Laura Neumann, Senior Business Program Manager, Microsoft

Laura Neumann, Senior Business Program Manager, Microsoft

The pandemic has changed the way we do business across the globe. It has accelerated the rise of online learning for workers in the skills-based economy. In the fast-moving tech industry, the transition to a remote environment was an opportune time to further improve workers’ skills and education. Cloud computing, AI, and analytical security continue to top the list for the most in-demand skills.

Statistics in 2021 show employees will benefit by focusing on closing the skills gap brought on by the quickly evolving workforce. Continuing one’s education gives tech professionals and workers greater motivation—67 percent said they had more self-confidence to perform their jobs, and 41 percent reported increased job satisfaction. Additionally, 35 percent saw a salary or wage increase after achieving a certification.

The remote workforce and a higher demand for online learning

More than a year into the pandemic, many businesses have pivoted to offer different products or services, while going completely remote. More than 150 million tech jobs will be created in the next five years, with some directly tied to COVID-19. In response to these new jobs, people will need new skills.

A large remote workforce proved how much more we can accomplish off site. Organizations’ hiring practices for finding talent may expand to other parts of the country or world. Upskilling is essential for those who lost their jobs during the pandemic and need to change career paths. It’s crucial for tech workers to upskill their education to stay relevant and competitive.

A survey revealed, 80 percent of company leaders plan to allow employees to work remotely at least part-time after the pandemic, and 47 percent will allow full-time remote work.

A partnership with Udacity

Microsoft has recognized the need for upskilling workers and put more resources towards our higher stake learning certifications accordingly. Microsoft’s exciting new partnership with Udacity’s platform helps bring our learning paths to the forefront. Udacity provides deep technological topics while offering an ecosystem of opportunities for students to make real-world connections and meet mentors.

By bridging new learners with those already in the market, learners benefit even further from live feedback and experience a “show-by-doing” learning model.

Azure’s cloud development nanodegree course

Azure Developer is a cloud development nanodegree course with Udacity that embraces a blended learning experience to help learners balance their lives and careers. The program recognizes every individual has a different starting point and a unique learning style.

When the course was being developed, we wanted it to utilize the strengths unique to Udacity, while taking on a hands-on learning, project-based approach.

With Udacity, we were able to successfully broaden our educational reach.

Bringing opportunities for learning

One of Microsoft’s values is to empower every person on the planet to achieve more. We want to provide an equal opportunity for education to everyone, especially for those without access to traditional education or people who want to transition into a different career, perhaps prompted by the pandemic.

Talent is everywhere. Being able to provide opportunities to those who need it most, including women and people who are economically underprivileged is an important part of the ecosystem’s huge digital transformation.

Through Microsoft’s scholarships, we are able to make these opportunities a reality. The Machine Learning Scholarship Program for Microsoft Azure and partnering with Women in the Cloud helps forge these efforts to help even the playing field so no one is left behind.

Here’s what some of Azure’s global scholarship recipients had to say about the program:

“I had the opportunity to pursue the Microsoft Scholarship for the machine learning nanodegree. I knew I had previously missed out on machine learning and deep learning, so this scholarship provided me with an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I couldn’t miss.”—Clarisse Simoes Ribeiro, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

“I've enrolled in this Microsoft Azure Scholarship; it has been 4 incredible months, I wake up at 5 a.m. to start working on myself. Machine Learning is one of the most in demand abilities and as a lecturer at universities in my home country of El Salvador, my goal is to design a project to predict the behavior of homicides and other crimes through machine learning.”—Herbert Eduardo Fernandez Tamayo, El Salvador

“I started to explore Microsoft stacks in both data analytics and artificial intelligence fields as they are key areas in which local clients of my company often ask for our technical support in the administration of Microsoft 365 enterprise subscriptions. This scholarship really grabbed my attention since it is a match in heaven between a highly trusted education institute, Udacity, and a dream partner of my company, Microsoft. With my new skills and network, I hope to actively contribute to new projects in my company and create stellar services for our clients.”—Huynh Van Tu An, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Beyond 2021

A remote workforce that’s here to stay, job loss, changing careers, plus embracing virtual learning are reasons why Microsoft continues to focus on providing the best resources and tools for upskilling.

The demand for higher skills will continue to rise, and empowering those who need it most through Microsoft’s learning verticals will fuel career growth and transformation, while opening up new opportunities.