Harnessing the power of business apps

Microsoft and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have announced an innovative new course designed to help individuals build high-value careers and enable more organisations to harness the power of business applications. 

As we progress towards an increasingly augmented workforce where humans work alongside evolving technologies, there is an increased focus on human-centric skills like creative thinking, problem solving, collaboration, adaptability and emotional intelligence, 

The Graduate Certificate in Business Consulting and Technology Implementation has been co-designed by Microsoft and UTS in collaboration with the leading services firms such as Avanade and EY to meld these skills with technology skills to fill a growing gap in the market for business and technology consultants.  It has been created to provide students from a wide range of backgrounds with the skills and knowledge needed to work in the professional field of functional consulting using Microsoft Dynamics. 

The course will commence in October 2022 and aims to produce 1,200 graduates over the next two years. It will be delivered online and take eight to ten months to complete on a part-time basis enabling students to work while they study.  

The Graduate Certificate in Business Consulting and Technology Implementation comprises six subjects that aim to equip participants with the business, human-centric skills and technical skills needed to work as a functional consultant, potentially in Microsoft’s partner ecosystem or its client base. It also focuses on real-world case studies and implementation practice provided via input from firms such as Avanade and EY to help prepare students entering the technology workforce. 

The fully accredited course is designed to accommodate participants from a variety of learning pathways, and may include recognition of prior related study. Participants who qualify may be able to access fee assistance from the Australian Government.

Based on forecasts by International Data Corporation, spending on enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and low-code software-as-a-service solutions is expected to hit A$6.7 billion in Australia and New Zealand by 2024, growing on an average of 19% annually. However, the biggest challenge for businesses looking to deploy these applications is a lack of talent, with an estimated 286,000 additional skilled technology workers needed over the next two years, according to the Tech Council of Australia.  

Glenn Wightwick, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Enterprise at UTS, says: “At UTS, we understand the importance of lifelong learning, and the benefit of partnering with leading companies to co-design education courses that have real-world value and that fill current and future skill gaps.  

“The Graduate Certificate in Business Consulting and Technology Implementation is a perfect example of this. Not only does it equip students with the skills required to take advantage of a huge opportunity in the market, but it also brings together the expertise of our world-class educators at UTS in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and UTS Business School, the advanced technologies of Microsoft and the valuable real-world experiences of firms including EY and Avanade.  

“We at UTS are proud to launch this course, and excited to welcome the first cohort of students in October.” 

Tiffany Wright, Director for Education at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, adds: “Organisations and individuals are looking to grasp the huge opportunity offered by business applications, but a lack of skilled workers puts this at risk. The Graduate Certificate helps provide students with real-world skills and experience that they can put to use straight away. 

“As industries such as banking and finance, health and retail evolve to require new knowledge and skills, this Graduate Certificate will equip workers with the ability to make a real impact.” 

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