Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
First Scottish college to offer new programme
New College Lanarkshire is set to be the first college in Scotland to offer the new Microsoft Learn for Educators programme.
Computing lecturers and students will obtain industry-recognised Microsoft Certifications for a range of technologies to develop futureready skills.
The college is one of only 30 colleges and universities from across the UK to join the programme in the academic year 2020-21.
Staff and students will learn the fundamentals of Microsoft technology, which will address the increasing demand for IT professionals with training and skills in artificial intelligence, cloudbased technology, and data analytics.
Around 100 computing students from New College Lanarkshire who are enrolled in courses at Higher National Certificate (HNC) level (SCQF 7) and above will begin training later this month.
Designed to bring the best of Microsoft Learn’s online learning paths and training tools into the classroom, the programme will give computing lecturers access to Microsoft’s curriculum and teaching materials.
Certifications on the programme include Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals, Azure AI Fundamentals, Azure Fundamentals, and Microsoft Power Platform Fundamentals.
All students will be expected to complete 20 hours of training plus practical labs, before undertaking exam preparation using Measure Up.
Charlie Johnstone, curriculum and quality leader for computing, film and TV, said: “We are delighted to be the first college in Scotland to join the Microsoft Learn for Educators programme.
“We are now able to upskill our own staff to deliver industry-leading courses to our students, giving them a competitive advantage when seeking employment.
“We work very closely with industry professionals who seek out our graduates as they know they have the skills to work on their platforms.
“This exciting addition to our existing course programmes will see our students empowered with advanced skills and industry-recognised certifications that will make them candidates for the jobs of tomorrow.”
Rachel Wortman Morris, PH.D., Microsoft Future Skills transformation lead, added: “By coupling the expertise and talents of the college’s faculty with the technical content available from Microsoft, students will have the opportunity to gain valuable, in-demand skills as well as Microsoft certifications through the college’s curriculum.”
New College Lanarkshire offers a range of courses in computing starting in February, including coding fundamentals, cyber security fundamentals, networking, and data analytics; to find out more, visit www.nclanarkshire.ac.uk/ courses/computing