Microsoft launches Britain Works Challenge

Local authority teams are being encouraged to use their creativity and business skills to pitch for up to 100,000 Microsoft Training Vouchers, to help launch innovative programs for citizens in their area. Bidders have to tell judges how they would use the vouchers and the impact it will have. A panel of industry and local government judges will choose the best ideas, and training vouchers will be awarded to ensure the suggestions can be delivered. The challenge is being supported by SOLACE and launched at their annual conference in Brighton this week.

Three bids will be selected as finalists who will then present their ideas in January 2010 and a winner will be chosen and announced.

Stephen Uden, Head of Skills and Economic Affairs for Microsoft UK said: 'Microsoft has always realised the importance of ensuring that people have the necessary skills to enable them to engage in the digital society. Our community investment work has focused on providing access to these skills for the UK.

'With currently 77 per cent of all jobs requiring some form of computer skills, we recognise the importance of IT skills in bridging the digital divide.

'Through a series of partnerships with NGOs, community learning centres and public authorities, we aim to help half a million people into jobs in areas that will lead the economic recovery. These will be digital jobs requiring computer skills, but will be in industries ranging from manufacturing to services and the IT industry.'

David Clark, Director General of SOLACE, said, 'Councils know just how important IT and computer skills now are in the increasingly difficult task of getting Britain back to work. The scale, expertise and skills of this Microsoft challenge are just fantastic and SOLACE is delighted to be promoting and supporting this venture.'

The vouchers can be used in the Britain Works programme which includes training, the Microsoft IT Academy, Microsoft employ, apprenticeships and access to the Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher programme.

Three shortlisted winners will receive a custom-designed training programme meeting their local needs. The winners will receive the following:

1st place
100,000 Essential Skills vouchers
5,000 Business Worker vouchers plus 2,500 exams
2,500 Technical Specialist vouchers plus 1,000 exams

2nd place
50,000 Essential Skills vouchers
3,000 Business Worker vouchers plus 1,500 exams
1,500 Technical Specialist vouchers plus 600 exams

3rd place
30,000 Essential Skills vouchers 30,000
2,000 Business Worker vouchers plus 1,000 exams
1,000 Technical Specialist vouchers plus 400 exams

The total commercial value of the top three places is £18 million. All entrants will be given a package of 1,000 training vouchers to support local activity and the experience of previous challenges is that most ideas will be able to proceed in some form.

Judging criteria:
Winning entries will demonstrate the strongest combination of the following:
Impact: Rapidly reaching the greatest number of people and achieving the most effective interventions
Partnership working: Working with the strongest set of delivery partners
Best use of resources: Most effectively building on and integrating the Microsoft resources available to produce a joined up offer
Local authority re-use: Creating a solution that can be most easily implemented by other local authorities.
The judging panel will be:

Michael Frater
Steve Palmer, CIO Hillingdon Council & President SOCITM
David Clark, SOLACE Director General
Helen Gilroy, Head of Local and Regional Government, Microsoft Ltd

The competition opens with the launch at SOLACE 2009 in Brighton, and entries close at 5pm on Friday, December 18, 2009.

Applications can be made online or by posting to:

The Britain Works Challenge
Microsoft Ltd
Microsoft Campus
Thames Valley Park
Reading RG6 1WG

The competition is open to UK Local and Regional Authorities, and their employees in a professional capacity. Entries close 5pm Friday, December 19, 2009. Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The vouchers are to be used by the local authorities' citizens rather than the staff of the authority.

The Britain Works challenge is part of a Microsoft campaign to help some 500,000 people into work in the coming three years.