Dive Brief:
- Microsoft and the Project Management Institute have partnered to offer low code training to college students through the new Power Platform University Hub, according to a Tuesday blog post by Ryan Cunningham, VP, Power Apps at Microsoft.
- The hub provides more than a dozen asynchronous, self-guided training courses designed to teach non-technical students how to create apps, data visualizations, chatbots, websites and automation tools using Microsoft Power Platform, according to the announcement.
- Students who complete the training will receive two industry credentials, a PL-100 Microsoft Power App Maker certification and PMI’s Citizen Developer Practitioner Micro-Credential.
Dive Insight:
Low code development gives companies struggling to find tech talent a practical way to surmount the skills gap. It’s not a panacea, but it can be more than just a temporary patch when used correctly.
Gartner predicts that almost two-thirds of app development will utilize low code tools by 2024, and companies are already using low code to speed development and reduce costs.
PMI, the nonprofit certification organization best known for its project management professional credential, added low code to its portfolio in 2020, with a Citizen Developer Foundation online course.
In the interim, demand for app developers and software engineers has outpaced supply.
Unemployment in tech occupations was 2.2% in October, more than a full point below the rate for all professions. Near historic lows have persisted throughout the year.
The partnership between PMI and Microsoft aims to remediate the shortage of professional coders and relieve the strain on IT departments by creating a new talent pool, according to the post.
The hub was launched after a successful test run that involved 28 universities and 1,500 low code student developers, the post said.
