A number of partners have expressed interest in finding out more about the Microsoft Partner Apprenticeship scheme.

Short description as follows:

“The Microsoft Partner Apprenticeship was designed for and developed with Microsoft Partners to improve the capability of the partner network and add a stream of new ICT recruits, particularly for SMEs who have struggled to recruit appropriately trained staff or apprentices in the past due to the perceived barriers to entry.

The concept focuses on Partners clustering together in regional areas, which will enable you to benefit from collective recruitment and purchasing power.

The programme aims to:
• Harness the power of collaboration to reduce total costs and provide a richer learning experience for the apprentices.
• Allow Microsoft Partners (particularly SMEs) to engage in ICT apprenticeships in a way that was not previously possible
• Allow all Microsoft Partners to actively recruit the apprentices as full-time employees on day one of the apprenticeship.
• Provide an intensive learning period at the start of the programme to ensure apprentices are up-to-speed sooner than in traditional one day per week apprenticeship models.

Details of the Programme
Apprentices will participate in a 7 month apprenticeship
which will involve:
• Classroom learning at Europe’s leading Microsoft IT
Academy, Zenos
• Vocational learning whilst in the workplace
This mix of a Work Based Learning and Programme-led
apprenticeship is unique. It has been designed to offer
Partners and Apprentices a fast-track into productive
employment whilst ensuring all of the necessary technical
and business skills are learnt. This will produce flexible,
rounded individuals able to follow a number of valuable
career paths – a huge benefit to the sector as a whole.

We are recruiting both Partners and Apprentices NOW!
Register your interest by signing up to the Employer
Charter which can be found at www.microsoft.com/uk/
partner/apprenticeships. You then have two options:
1. You are looking to take on and develop your own cohort
of apprentices (i.e. more than 10 apprentices from
one intake). Contact mspa@e-skills.com to register
your interest and you will be assigned to the most
appropriate Zenos Academy.
2. You are looking to take on and develop between 1 and
9 apprentices. Contact mspa@e-skills.com and your
requirement will be matched to others by both role
specification and geography so a suitable cohort can be
assembled. e-skills UK will manage the resulting cohort.
If you require more information, we will be holding a
series of road shows across the country, details of which
are available at www.microsoft.com/uk/partner/
apprenticeships.”