Blue Chip training manager, Oliver Bruffell, said: “We only have to look at how extremely busy our specialist training centres in Southampton and Leeds are to see that there is an industry-wide thirst for the latest knowledge in all technologies, including Microsoft. We pride ourselves on delivering training programmes across a wide variety of subjects, and will always invest in achieving the highest qualifications and standards to maintain our position amongst the best in the country at delivering quality training solutions.”
Microsoft competencies are aligned with how customers actually buy, making it easier for partners, such as Blue Chip, to promote skills and expertise to customers. When a partner organisation earns one or more silver competencies, they can showcase their company's business focus and experience. Achieving gold competency, allows Blue Chip to demonstrate the highest, most consistent capability and commitment to a particular business solution area for its customers.
Last year Microsoft Learning’s General Manager, Lutz Ziob, detoured to the UK specifically to congratulate Blue Chip on 14% growth in providing Microsoft Curriculum Courses and 10.5% growth in Microsoft Certification, in what was deemed a difficult economic year. The figure has risen by 39.4% on last year in a market that had dropped 9% UK wide, coupled with more than 200 delegates currently attending Blue Chip’s training centres every month. Indeed, the Southampton centre was recently refurbished and extended to meet increasing demand.
Bruffell adds: “It seems that despite the cutbacks of recent years, businesses and organisations are acknowledging the importance of investing in the technical skill set of their work force. Whether this is to maximise existing technology to increase productivity, reduce support costs by bringing qualifications in-house, or simply to keeping abreast of the latest advancements in order to give a competitive advantage when they can invest, there is definitely an increase in training requirements. Of course, individuals are also seeking to keep CVs updated in the current job market.”