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Microsoft pitches in to “Elevate America” By: Aaron Anderson  |
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With the US economy in steep decline and with the country experiencing a blistering pace of job losses, the software giant Microsoft has decided to pitch in and lend a hand retraining Americans with the skills needed to compete in the current high tech environment.
The program is called “Elevate America” and Microsoft hopes it will provide up to 2 million people with low to no cost technical certification over the next three years.
Today’s jobs require some form of computer based technical skills, and future jobs will have an even greater demand for technical skills. Microsoft has created the “Elevate America” program to help American’s meet today’s and future technical skills requirements to help the nation stay competitive and to keep America working.
Although some critics of the program have suggested that this is just another attempt on the part of Microsoft to create a technology monopoly, claiming that the training will eliminate a competitive environment for smaller independent technologies, most agree that free technology training for Americans couldn’t come at a better time.
Some information of the “Elevate America” program is already available on the Microsoft website: www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/us/communityinvestment/elevateamerica.aspx and more information is expected as Microsoft begins to partner the program with a select few state governments such as New York and Florida.
As on now the information available pertains mostly to suggestions for resume writing and tips for the unemployed. But some Microsoft application training is available as well as training for such tasks as email composition.
For the skeptical, there is no doubt that Microsoft’s motives will continue to be called into question, but as of now, all appearances of “Elevate America” seem to be fully legitimate and a incredible opportunity for American’s to learn and push their career forward with Microsoft certification.
To date, no requirements have been announced for qualifying from the training program, but with a planned 3 million to receive the low to no cost training, the “Elevate America” program may just do what the name boasts.
Microsoft has never been considered a benevolent organization, but their “Elevate America” program may change that perception as it helps everyday Americans rise to the new challenges of the global market.
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