How UpSKILL is empowering Microsoft partners to build the next generation of #BCTalent

With more and more organizations turning to technology to help them modernize their operations, the Microsoft partners that deliver this technology face a dual challenge: meeting the rapidly growing demand for Business Central expertise while navigating an ongoing talent shortage.

Designed to address this problem head-on, the #BCTalent initiative’s latest offering helps partners onboard and develop ambitious graduate talent quickly and effectively.

Coming hot on the heels of the wildly successful ReSKILL program, UpSKILL is a comprehensive training and coaching program built specifically for fresh graduates entering the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ecosystem.

Taking new graduates with a passion for technology and transforming them into Business Central experts, the UpSKILL program equips participants with the hands-on experience your practice needs to fulfill your clients’ digital goals.

In a talent-strapped landscape, UpSKILL is a strategic investment in the future of both your team and your business.

In the face of persistent talent shortages, 77% of Microsoft partners report that these skills gaps are hindering their ability to achieve business goals.

It’s clear that the traditional approach of moving talent within the ecosystem is no longer sustainable, lacking the agility required to tackle skills shortages in such a fast-moving field. So what’s the solution?

What’s needed is a wave of net-new talent that’s diverse, armed with practical experience, and boasts a deep understanding of the technology and how best it can be applied to future-proof their industry.

UpSKILL was created explicitly to develop this new generation of Business Central experts. By helping new hires build not just technical skills, but also the professional and consultancy skills they need to thrive in Business Central roles, the program offers partners a cost-effective way to level-up their talent.

Whether you’re looking to enhance your existing graduate program, or want to fast-track the onboarding of a junior team member, UpSKILL provides a structured, supportive, and scalable path to success.

UpSKILL combines three core pillars—Train, Coach, and Community—to deliver a comprehensive learning experience that gets talent deployment-ready quickly, and helps partners keep their talent long-term. Here’s how these pillars work together to create a uniquely effectively talent solution.

1. Train: Industry-leading learning paths

UpSKILL delivers a dynamic and flexible training experience tailored to meet the needs of new graduates, combining expert-led instruction with self-paced resources to support every learning journey. Learners have access to:

2. Coach: Personalized development support

Technical skills are only part of the equation, which is why UpSKILL also includes a six-month coaching stream designed to boost graduates’ success. This includes:

This coaching model not only supports skill development, but also builds confidence, encourages engagement with the content and other learners, and helps new hires settle into their roles more quickly.

3. Community: A global network of support

Finally, all UpSKILL participants become part of the global #BCTalent community, a vibrant, inclusive network where graduates can:

The power of community during career development can’t be underestimated. Connecting to a community of like-minded budding professionals can be a great motivator, especially for those taking their first steps into the tech industry.

UpSKILL’s professional skills modules kick off with introductory finance and ERP courses, getting new graduate hires up to speed on all things Business Central. These early modules make sure that participants know the core business processes inside and out, building a strong understanding of the systems that underpin the platform and setting them up for long-term success.

To complement this foundational technical training, the UpSKILL program places a strong emphasis on professional skills development. Our participants engage in educational experiences designed to help them learn effective communication and stakeholder management. They also learn how to gather relevant information, document business requirements, navigate project methodologies, and execute quality assurance processes.

Last but definitely not least, the program helps learners grow the kind of soft skills that are critical in client-facing roles—like presentation delivery, teamwork, and collaboration. These skills are the icing on the cake for well-rounded Business Central professionals, ensuring they have all the capabilities they need to deliver excellent customer experiences throughout the implementation lifecycle.

The UpSKILL program has already helped Microsoft partners accelerate the onboarding and development of critical new talent, and is on-track to achieve similarly impressive results as its predecessor programs.

Throughout past #BCTalent initiatives, partners reported a significant cut in the time senior staff spent on training new hires by as much as 80% within the first 14 weeks. Hiring through the program freed up experienced team members to focus on high-value customer work, while also making sure that new hires received the support they needed.

Participants in the program became billable in as little as six weeks, and within nine months, were fully integrated into their roles and fulfilling all job role expectations.

These results highlight UpSKILL’s ability to provide both immediate and long-term value, making it a smart investment for partners looking to scale their Business Central teams quickly, without sacrificing quality.

As AI and cloud technologies continue to reshape the business landscape, the need for adaptable, skilled professionals has never been greater. UpSKILL helps Microsoft partners develop future-ready teams that are both technically proficient and customer-focused.

By investing in new graduates through UpSKILL, partners can:

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Learn how you can help your new graduate hires get their Business Central careers off to the best possible start.