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Mwolf1703
Brass Contributor
Joined Jan 16, 2020
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Challenges with the availability of Applied Skills Assessments for TSPs
Hi team. I’d like to raise a critical issue impacting TSPs concerning the Applied Skills Assessments. According to the latest Courseware Title Plan (tab 'Applied Skills Assessments'), 17 out of 31 non-retired Applied Skills Assessments are currently offline—more than 50%. For ILT providers, this presents a significant challenge, as these assessments are a vital component for students who opt for paid instructor-led training over the free Microsoft Learn-based alternatives. The unavailability of these assessments undermines the value of our ILT offerings. Students enrolling in these courses expect access to assessments to validate their knowledge. Without this, their incentive to choose a paid option diminishes, forcing us to reconsider offering these courses altogether. Key questions we need clarity on: Why have these assessments been taken offline? Why hasn’t this been proactively communicated to TSPs? Is there a timeline for their return? This lack of visibility and communication complicates planning and makes it harder for us to deliver a consistent, valuable experience to students. Clear updates and transparency on this issue would greatly help TSPs align with Microsoft’s strategy while ensuring student satisfaction. I’d appreciate hearing from others facing similar challenges and any insights from the team regarding next steps. Kind regards, Marnix WolfRequest for a content-rich M365 tenant for M365 Copilot training purposes
Dear Microsoft Community and Team, I am writing on behalf of our team, a dedicated Microsoft Training Services Partner (TSP), with a keen interest in delivering comprehensive M365 Copilot training to end users. Our goal is to ensure that users can fully leverage the capabilities of M365 Copilot, thereby maximizing its benefits. Typically, an empty M365 tenant would be sufficient for training purposes. However, M365 Copilot's unique functionality hinges on the presence of substantial content within the tenant – including SharePoint sites, files, emails, meetings, chats, calendars, and contacts. This content is crucial for building M365 Copilot’s Semantic Index, which is essential for the tool to operate at its full potential. Consequently, providing hands-on training in such an enriched M365 environment becomes imperative. During the last TSP Community Call in January 2024, Michael Kophs, the Content Portfolio Manager, acknowledged the necessity of such a tenant for training purposes. However, there were no further details provided on how Microsoft might support TSPs in this regard. We recognize that setting up and maintaining a content-rich M365 tenant for training is a complex task, and it is beyond our current capabilities. Additionally, using our own corporate tenant for this purpose is not a feasible option. In light of this, we kindly request guidance or support from Microsoft in providing access to a suitable M365 tenant. This tenant would be used exclusively for training purposes, allowing participants to fully experience M365 Copilot and potentially continue to explore post-training, thereby fostering advocacy for this innovative GenAI-based service. We are open to discussing the financial aspects of accessing such a tenant for our training needs. We eagerly anticipate Microsoft’s response on this matter and are looking forward to your support in empowering end users through effective training. Thank you for considering our request. With kind regards, Marnix WolfRe: Badge redemption is received poorly by our students
Hi Mindy_Allison, thanks for your response. Another issue that I failed to mention earlier, which hampers badge redemption, is a cultural aspect. In the Netherlands, there exists a particular sentiment that discourages overt demonstrations of achievement. Many students in the Netherlands view claiming a badge as a form of flaunting, which is considered inappropriate. Additionally, some individuals perceive it as an immature behavior. While this concern may seem insignificant to Microsoft US, we have been receiving feedback in the Netherlands questioning the purpose of showcasing or boasting about a course completed. Some individuals express sentiments such as, "I am an adult and do not require such recognition" or "Why should I engage in self-promotion for a learning achievement?" Consequently, these students do not perceive us as a favorable Learning Partner, which has a negative impact on our business. Kind regards, Marnix WolfBadge redemption is received poorly by our students
Hello everyone, I would like to address a matter concerning the new partner program requirements set by Microsoft. While I understand the need for new KPI metrics, we have encountered a significant challenge in getting our students to redeem their badges. There are multiple reasons contributing to this issue, but one stands out the most: once the badge is activated, everything related to the course in MS Learn is marked as completed. As a result, students lose track of their progress within MS Learn, leading many of them to refrain from redeeming their badges. Despite our efforts to prompt students to redeem their badges towards the end of the course, a significant number of them still choose not to do so. Furthermore, we have observed that many students do not perceive the added value of these badges. They enroll in courses with the intention of acquiring new knowledge and skills, placing little importance on the badges themselves. Consequently, these students are less likely to redeem their badges, regardless of how frequently we remind them or emphasize the importance of these metrics. This situation directly impacts our standing as a Microsoft Learning Partner. It can be frustrating as a Learning Partner to be held accountable for an aspect that is largely beyond our control and influence. While we can and do ask students to claim their badges multiple times, we cannot force them to do so. Another source of frustration is the lack of visibility regarding the response rates for badge redemption. There is currently no dashboard available to Learning Partners to track this information. This creates uncertainty and makes it challenging for us to effectively manage this aspect, despite its significant impact on our performance as a Learning Partner. Essentially, for a Learning Partner, it feels like operating in a black box. Please note that I am aware that a dashboard for badge redemption is planned to be available after the summer. However, it is important to highlight that even during this interim period without visibility, we are already being held accountable for these KPI metrics. Although I remain optimistic about the new partner program and understand Microsoft's motivations, I believe there is a need for greater transparency. When Learning Partners are measured on specific KPI metrics, it would be beneficial to provide them with insights into those same metrics. For our other initiatives, such as MTM, we perform daily data extractions and visualize the results through Power BI dashboards. However, when it comes to badge redemption, we lack such tools. Please understand that my intention is not to be disrespectful. I simply wanted to share my thoughts on this matter. Thank you for your attention. Kind regards, Marnix Wolf
