New study shows the value of Microsoft Learning Partners

This blog post is the first in a series of three that summarize the results of a recent IDC study, Leveraging Microsoft Learning Partners for Innovation and Impact.*

How do IT organizations gain the technical skills needed to help power organizations’ cloud initiatives and digital transformation efforts? Microsoft recently sponsored a research study with IDC to help get the answers.

IT leaders reported that the key to success is having the right skills in-house. To meet an organization’s strategic goals, technical workers in particular need the right training. Digital transformation is moving business forward so fast that upskilling and reskilling at the same rate are essential to keep up with IT requirements.

In short, Microsoft Learning Partners can play a key role in delivering learning results that make a measurable difference in organizations. Our community of Learning Partners knows how to advance employees to their learning goals using Microsoft Official Courseware (MOC) taught by Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs).

How Learning Partners can help you achieve your learning goals

To stay up to date, IT pros are constantly learning and adding skills. The IDC study concluded that Microsoft Learning Partners are well positioned to help organizations achieve their business and learning goals. The IT leaders who were surveyed found the most value from a Learning Partner that provides:

An end-to-end solution which starts with identifying skill gaps, simplifies the learning experience, and finishes by evaluating how well the Learning Partner met the organization goals.
Scale, flexibility, and speed to train teams of any size, in any location, amid changing circumstances.
Value-added services, such as hands-on labs, classroom training, and custom content that help the skills development program succeed.
High-quality content and delivery, meaning accurate, relevant courseware, top-notch instructors, and a path to certification, if needed.

According to those surveyed, Learning Partners with the scope to deliver in these four areas make a difference in helping organizations meet their digital transformation goals.

To learn more about the value of Microsoft Learning Partners, download Top reasons to get IT training from a Microsoft Learning Partner.

The right partner makes a difference

The IDC study also assessed eight common use cases for IT skill development, comparing Learning Partners to other providers and internal training teams.

IT leaders selected Microsoft Learning Partners more often than other training providers in upskilling people in digital literacy, especially in analytics and cloud-related topics.

IT leaders also chose Learning Partners more often for training in new product deployment and processes. Learning Partners were also rated comparable or better for reskilling, skill maintenance, attracting and engaging workers, career development, and compliance.

For details about the IT use case results, see Figure 1 in Leveraging Microsoft Learning Partners for Innovation and Impact.*

Quality matters

IDC researchers found that high-quality training programs help ensure that IT teams meet their learning objectives. That, in turn, helps accelerate the achievement of an organization’s business goals, including digital transformation.

Authorized Microsoft Learning Partners specialize in helping organizations reach their training goals. MCTs are experts in technology and instruction who know how to guide organizations to measurable results. MOC provides relevant, accurate training content reviewed by Microsoft product teams. It’s also aligned with the industry-recognized Microsoft Certification objectives, for those who want to go that route.

Next step: Get help from an expert

In a digital-first world, instructor-led training and customized learning plans from the experts can give your organization’s IT workforce the edge it needs.

Find a Microsoft Learning Partner