Microsoft has extended its Cloud Skills Challenge in Sri Lanka through Microsoft Learn — a free, online training platform that provides hands-on, interactive learning for products and services within the Microsoft ecosystem — to help community members skill up and grow their technical expertise.

Throughout the Challenge, participants will prepare for Microsoft Fundamentals certifications through short step-by-step tutorials, browser-based interactive coding and scripting environments, and task-based achievements. The Challenge is designed to build employability skills and accelerate the next generation of students for the growing digital economy and workforce.

“As technologies and the economy continue to develop and advance at a rapid speed, having a lifelong learning and growth mentality is critical for the future,” said Sook Hoon Cheah, General Manager, Southeast Asia New Markets, Microsoft Asia Pacific. “Career development has taken on a new meaning in today's hybrid workplace – lifelong learning is required for Sri Lankans to future-proof themselves and prosper in the digital economy.”

There will be three challenges available to choose from. The Beginner Challenge is designed for students or professionals, starting their cloud learning journey, with no previous experience. The Intermediate Challenge is designed for professionals, with previous experience and basic knowledge of cloud services. The Advanced Challenge is designed for cloud professionals with intermediate-level skills.

Participants will be able to explore topics in-depth through over 300 guided modules. The more content they engage with, the more points they will accumulate. For each Microsoft Learn module that you complete, participants will be rewarded with Experience Points (XP). The Top 500 participants with the most points at the end of the Cloud Skills Challenge will stand a chance to receive Azure Certifications Vouchers and exciting prizes.

Over the Entry Period, participants can select different learning paths and engage with the content on Microsoft Learn. The Entry Period will end on December 31st, 2021 and the winners will be awarded on March 15th, 2022. To register for the Sri Lanka Cloud Skills Challenge, visit www.microsoft.com/en-lk/cloud-training-events/cloud-skills-challenge.