Microsoft piloting Career Connect Bootcamp to introduce more Dynamics CRM talent to US partner channel

Skilled Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM professionals are perennially in demand as partner organizations grow and seek new talent. Partners often say they can't hire fast enough. Microsoft is testing out a new way to accelerate the development and hiring of new Dynamics CRM resources through a joint effort between the U.S Dynamics Partner team and the Academic Alliance team.  

The new program, the Career Connect Bootcamp, will launch in January 2015. It will train students on Dynamics CRM and then introduce them to partners who are looking to hire new resources, according to Lindsay Lindstrom, a member of Microsoft Dynamics U.S. Partner Readiness team. The catalyst for the program was partners' "desire and need for a pipeline of candidates," she says.

Three pilot events will take place across the U.S. in Minneapolis, Rochester, and San Diego. Each bootcamp will consist of five days of technical training led by a Microsoft Certified trainer, followed by a job fair. There are also post-bootcamp virtual learning sessions with trainers, partners and other experts in Microsoft Dynamics.

Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance already works with more than 1,500 colleges and universities across globe. These institutions use non-production licenses of Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM products for education and research, says Katie Hasbargan, Ph.D., the program lead.

"[The Career Connect Bootcamp] is an extension of what we do," she says. "It adds an opportunity for students to connect directly with employers."

Each of the three locations will host between twenty and forty students and about ten partners, Lindstrom says. Students pay $100 to reserve their places, although the money is refunded after they've completed the camp. Each partner company pays a nominal fee to participate.

The goal for Microsoft is two-fold. ...