Empowering People Through AI and Apprenticeships: Expanding Opportunities for Diverse Communities

Microsoft is the Tech South West Technology Partner 2025.

Read this guest post by Jessica Coomer, Industry Go to Market Manager at Microsoft, about how the company is supporting careers in AI and advanced technology through apprenticeships.

Last week, we celebrated National Apprenticeship Week in Leeds. For nearly 15 years, Microsoft has supported nearly 40,000 apprentices through our partner network, as we recognise the huge opportunity apprenticeships can provide to people from diverse backgrounds.

Data shows that 1 in 8 people between the ages of 16 and 24 are not in education, training, or employment. Those from underprivileged backgrounds are also less likely to feel in control of their futures than those from higher socio-economic backgrounds.

If used well, AI can lower the barriers to entry for many professions. Our Microsoft Connector platform, delivered in partnership with GetMyFirstJob, uses AI to connect young people with opportunities close to home where it’s needed most. This not only helps individuals access bootcamps, training programmes, and apprenticeships in an accessible manner, but helps to keep talent in regions where opportunities are expanding.

In order for the benefits that AI can provide to be scalable and beneficial to everyone, we need to enable people from diverse communities to learn AI skills. Apprenticeships are a vital component of this effort, as they provide individuals with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and develop practical skills while earning a salary. Apprenticeships not only benefit the apprentices themselves, but also help to ensure that the UK is well positioned to move forward and embrace AI in job roles across all industries.

For small and medium sized businesses, having a pipeline of talented individuals who are equipped with AI skills enables them to keep up with the pace of technological change. In ensuring we’re helping people to build, use, and innovate with AI safely and responsibly, we expect learners to pass on their learnings to others and apply entry-level knowledge when performing rountine tasks.

We want to make sure that all apprenticeships, not only those in the digital sector, provide access to AI-related skills. Microsoft’s Training Services Partners play a crucial role in delivering apprenticeship programmes that leverage Microsoft technology to equip learners with essential digital skills. By integrating Microsoft certifications and hands-on practice, these programmes ensure that apprentices gain the technical expertise required to succeed in today’s digital economy.

For those keen to delve further into AI, Multiverse has launched a Microsoft 365 Copilot apprenticeship which is a really exciting opportunity for those who want to be at the forefront of new technologies and learn as the AI continues to develop.

One conclusion jumps out from our work more than anything else: AI offers not only new tools for people’s work but also new ways to help people learn almost anything. In the next few years, we’ll see more people enhance their knowledge in existing fields like computer science and data science, leading to the development of a new generation of AI engineers.

In order to reach underserved communities across the UK, we have partnered with Catch 22 and Generation to deliver pre-apprenticeship programs and bootcamps to young people across the UK. Following a recent bootcamp, the students learned how to write CVs, apply for jobs, prepare for interviews, and generally conduct themselves with more confidence. Graduates of the online bootcamp leave with a Microsoft Azure Fundamentals qualification, equipped with the skills to perform engineering tasks related to building, extending, and maintaining software and services running on Microsoft’s Azure Cloud Platform.

With 65% of young people using AI to assist in their job search and 55% motivated to learn about how they can use AI, there’s a clear appetite to leverage the opportunities. Our Digital and AI skills hub contains lots of free resources for young people to access, including quizzes for those aged 12+. Our Career Copilot, fuelled by AI, helps direct individuals to resources to help them research apprenticeships, and find out what role or industry might interest them. It also hosts a range of learning pathways if people want to reskill, upskill, or start their learning journey – it is never too late or early to learn new skills!

We have also worked with GetMyFirstJob to create an AI assembly video featuring Microsoft apprentices using AI to apply for apprenticeships, research organisations, write their CVs and practice mock interviews. This 20-minute video showcases how young people can use AI to help them with their next steps and has been shown in school assemblies and career advisory sessions across the country. Through this video, we hope to reach 100,000 students and are looking forward to witnessing the innovation that comes when we equip young people with skills, confidence and knowledge.