Partner Academy creates rich skills seam for Microsoft Dynamics 365 community

The critical thing that Microsoft and our partners understand is that success comes from a blend of great technology and great talent.

That’s why I’m so delighted about the Microsoft Business Applications Partner Academy which is designed to ensure Australian partners can make the most of every opportunity through access to the best skills, the most talent, and leading-edge technology.

We’re working with ManpowerGroup – a global leader in workplace solutions – to create a pipeline of skilled talent and subject matter expertise for Australian business applications partners which have a Dynamics 365 focus.

The Partner Academy will source, assess, select, and then train and certify people who can then help bridge the gap for trained Dynamics professionals in the Australian market. Working with ManpowerGroup, the program will start with a focus on ERP. We will identify the best candidates, put them through a training program run by Microsoft certified trainers in both online and classroom settings, so that they can achieve a Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations, Financials certification.

This certification will also help participating partners achieve their silver or gold competency in our Cloud Business Applications program. We’re making the program available to all our partners, including SMEs, and we’ve had a really good response already with partners like Insight and Velrada already signaling that they are keen to get involved. We’d really like to hear from you when you’re ready to learn more about the Partner Academy – just let us know.

It’s another important example of how Microsoft is working with our partners in Australia and around the world.

Globally we invest almost $US3 billion in our partner ecosystem each year – that investment helps to grows your and our businesses and critically, helps ensure maximum impact for customers.

The Business Applications Partner Academy will identify the people that are best suited to your business and then invest in the training and certification that will make them an invaluable part of your team.

There’s an additional benefit to this as well.

Because digital transformation is changing the world of work, many traditional jobs and tasks are being radically altered. It’s essential that professionals regularly refresh their skills to stay current and in-demand.

As Manpower Group Managing Director, Richard Fischer, says; “We are delighted to be partnering with Microsoft in this initiative. At ManpowerGroup we are constantly looking to solve current and future talent challenges. Our collective goal with this program is to do just that – namely, helping to bridge the increasing gap between talent supply and demand in key fields. In doing so we also have the opportunity to support Microsoft’s Channel Partners; to provide meaningful work for individuals, and; to go some way toward addressing the diversity imbalance in technology.”

Through the Partner Academy Microsoft and Manpower Group will help reskill people and prepare them for active and vital IT careers of the future. The reskilling initiative will focus on industry segments including finance, retail and manufacturing and also work with people whose employers are engaged in workforce reduction programs.

Meanwhile people with ERP and CRM experience from older Microsoft solutions, or alternative platforms will be upskilled with the latest Dynamics 365 capabilities.

Using best practice cultural assessments ManpowerGroup will identify the best candidates for individual partners, and then work with those people to provide the skills – including all important ‘soft skills’ – and the expertise they need to make a successful transition.

It empowers them, it empowers our partners and drives real value for customers.

If you’d like to know more there’s additional details here.