It was experiences like this that first made Servin want to work in the technology industry. That ambition was put on hold when he moved to the U.S. But it wasn’t forgotten. “Things change,” he says. “I moved to this country. I didn't even know the language. So I started from the bottom again.” Juan Servin at work making pizza dough

Servin was able to return to his studies later in life thanks, in part, to his supportive boss at Chico’s Pizza and the availability of student financial aid. While maintaining his job as a pizzaiolo, he studied at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake. Those part-time studies led to him earning an associate degree in computer science in 2020 – an achievement he is very proud of. Then, along with balancing his job, his family and his studies, Servin took on another learning challenge in December that year. [READ MORE: Catch up on these key skills, training and employment stories from Microsoft On the Issues] Making the most of online learning North Central Washington Tech Alliance is a nonprofit supported by Microsoft TechSpark that helps people get the digital skills and technology training they need to find work. When a month-long “UpSkill-a-Thon” event was announced, Servin decided to find out more. The event offered a cash prize of $1,000 to teams of two or four participants to see who could complete the highest number of courses. Servin teamed up with his daughter Gabrielle to complete their LinkedIn courses. At the dinner table each night, they would share their progress, spurring each other on. He completed 41 while Gabrielle completed 107, and they came in first place. Throughout his studies, Servin has been able to gain professionally recognized accreditations in Microsoft technologies such as Office and Windows, as well as study programming languages like Java and Python. He also took network and systems administration courses to gain the skills necessary to manage a business’s IT infrastructure. A factor in the extent of his accomplishments is that so many of the courses are available online and optimized to be accessed on a range of devices. And he believes this mix of flexibility and access will allow many more people to acquire skills and capabilities that would otherwise have felt out of reach. [READ MORE: LinkedIn data scientists offer vital insights for job seekers] Online courses for everyone Servin is one of 30.7 million people around the world who have benefited from a global skills initiative launched in June 2020 by Microsoft and LinkedIn. The initiative aims to create an inclusive economic recovery in the aftermath of Covid-19 by ensuring more people can gain the digital skills that will help them find work. As well as using data to identify the skills needed to fill in-demand jobs, it provides free access to learning content and low-cost certifications. “The only thing that you need to learn is how to be a ‘learning person,’” he says. “Because learning is open for anyone who wants to apply themselves and to achieve more.” Servin is now making decisions about his next move. For now, he says he likes the idea of taking his education even further to study for a degree in applied science, an academic discipline that applies scientific knowledge to practical scenarios such as technology. And he has a message for other people whose career hasn’t always followed a straight path: It is never too late to learn. “I think that we need a lot more information made available for older people, like me,” he says. “People need to know that there are no limits.” For more on how Microsoft is equipping job seekers and employees for the Covid-19 economy, visit our dedicated skills site. And follow @MSFTIssues on Twitter.

How new skills are helping realize a longstanding passion

Everyone should have access to digital skills. New grants aim to help

LinkedIn data scientists offer vital insights for job seekers

Meet the Light Savers: How five El Paso students used AI to speed up emergency response times

How one nonprofit turned a golf course into a ‘no-fail’ job training program