Microsoft Corp. announced Tuesday it was launching an initiative to help 25 million people worldwide acquire digital skills to get employment in the post-pandemic landscape. The move was reported in a blog post by Microsoft President Brad Smith.
“As societies reopen, it’s apparent that the economy in July will not be what it was in January,” Smith wrote. “Increasingly, one of the key steps needed to foster a safe and successful economic recovery is expanded access to the digital skills needed to fill new jobs.”
Microsoft’s initiative aims to identify in-demand jobs, provide free access to training, and provide low-cost certifications and job seeking tools to workers.
As part of the effort, Microsoft is including $20 million in cash grants to help nonprofit organizations worldwide to assist job seekers who need the most help. Of that amount, $5 million will be provided in cash grants to US nonprofits that are led by and serve communities of color.
Smith noted that global unemployment may reach 250 million people in 2020 because of the pandemic. The brunt of that is being borne by those with “lower educational attainment, people with disabilities, people of color, women, younger workers and individuals with less formal education,” he wrote.
As part of the Microsoft effort, LinkedIn Learning will provide free training through March 2021 for 10 roles found to have a combination of the greatest number of job openings, have had steady growth of the past four years, pay a livable wage and require skills that can be learned online. These 10 jobs include:
- Software developer
- Sales representative
- Project manager
- IT administrator
- Customer service specialist
- Digital marketing specialist
- IT support/help desk
- Data analyst
- Financial analyst
- Graphic designer