AI Skills Fest is just days away—here's what to expect
From headliners to hands-on learning, we’ve got your insider’s guide to a week full of can’t-miss moments in AI skilling. I always say my top career tip is simple: stay curious and keep on learning. Ask questions, try new things, follow what sparks your interest. That’s what Microsoft AI Skills Fest is all about. This isn’t just another learning event, it’s a full-on virtual festival experience, taking place June 8–12, 2026, with something for every role, from IT to marketing to leadership. Different stages, different sessions, one goal: helping you build your AI skills. And now, it’s time to reveal the AI Skills Fest lineup, packed with experts. Think of this blog post as your festival game plan for what to watch, try, and learn. Start here: Real perspectives from AI experts at the Mainstage The AI Skills Fest Mainstage is where the headliners will gather and the vibes will be electric, with honest conversations about where AI is going and the skills (both human and AI) that matter most. Join us at any time on June 8, 2026. It’s a can’t-miss event. Jeana Jorgensen, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Global Skilling, sits down with two industry experts (who are also New York Times bestselling authors!) for a vibrant conversation about the critical role of human skills in the era of AI: Aneesh Raman, Chief Economic Opportunity Officer at LinkedIn and co-author of Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI. Gina Smith, PhD, Research Director at IDC and co-author of Powering Up: Human Skills for the AI Era. Plus, hear about how Microsoft is approaching AI transformation from the inside with leaders like: Katy George, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Workforce Transformation. Pam Maynard, Microsoft Chief AI Transformation Officer. In addition to this thought leaders, hear voices from people just like you from around the world. Because we all have something meaningful to share. Make the Mainstage your first stop. It’s a great place to get context for everything else you do at AI Skills Fest, including what skills matter and where to focus next. Go deeper: Live learning This is where AI Skills Fest really comes to life. Join us online for expert-led live sessions via LinkedIn and get answers to your questions. Discover real AI workflows, prepare for Microsoft Certification exams, get career coaching and learn alongside a global community in real time—all with a focus on practical application. I’m looking forward to watching the Reimagine AI Collaboration for Business session which includes real example prompts and workflows. Another one that caught my attention is Ask a Recruiter—a great session for students who want some honest advice on landing that first job in the era of AI. If you’re focused on earning a Certification, we’ve got you covered. Tune into live exam prep sessions with expert guidance and real-time Q&A. Find clear direction, real answers, and the confidence to say, I can actually do this. Build something: Compete for prizes in the hackathon Some people learn by watching. Others learn by doing. If you fall in the second category, like me, or if you’re from the developer community, you won’t want to miss the hackathon. Agents League Hackathon is the marquee experience for developers at AI Skills Fest, combining hands‑on building with an e-sports‑style competition. Create your own agent, compete against your peers, and watch live coding battles as you climb the leaderboard. The hackathon is also a great chance to network with developers globally and get feedback from Microsoft product teams. Register now and submit your project through June 14, 2026, for a chance to win cash prizes, exciting swag, and category recognition.* And everyone who submits a project receives a digital badge. Find your path: Role-based skilling playlists After you’ve seen the mainstage lineup and joined a few live moments, build on your momentum with featured playlists—self-guided training curated for specific roles and organized so you always have a clear next step. Each unit builds on the learnings from those that came before. The result? You can focus on content built for you. We’re planning a lot more, but here are a few skilling playlists you won’t want to miss. If you’re a… Check out… And discover… Business professional Using Copilot Agents at Work A deeper understanding of how and when to use agents to boost productivity. Developer Develop your first agent with Microsoft Foundry A clear path to developing agents from model selection to publishing. Executive Leading at the Frontier: for talent and learning leaders Practical ways to lead AI transformation through people, skills, and business strategy. Educator or student Responsible AI in education Confidence applying responsible AI in real learning and academic scenarios. IT, data, or security pro Save time with Azure Copilot Helpful ways to use Azure Copilot to save time and improve workflows. Skilling playlists drop June 8, 2026, on AI Skills Navigator. Trust me, you’ll want to be the first to check them out. Complete a featured playlist by June 12, 2026, at 11:59 PM (your time), to earn a Credly badge. Submit your voucher claim form by the same date and time for a chance at a free Microsoft Certification exam.* Learn together: Partnerships that expand your experience AI Skills Fest is a worldwide learning party, and we’re bringing along some friends to make it more accessible, practical, and relevant—wherever you’re learning. Through our global network of Microsoft Training Services Partners, you can join local, in-language AI Skills Fest events that bring the festival closer to you. With Pearson, we’re showing how AI learning turns into real impact, from working toward Certification-led adoption to building practical, job-ready skills. With Finding Mastery, we’re exploring the human side of AI with a session focused on the mindset and skills that help you adapt, lead, and stay grounded. Anthropic brings a dedicated session on AI applications and agent development using Foundry with Anthropic AI models. And MasterClass is joining with its new certificate, Lead With AI: Adapt, Implement & Transform Your Organization, plus a special offer for AI Skills Fest attendees. See you (virtually) at the AI Skills Fest! Because every great festival comes with perks, we’ve got a few worth getting excited about: Register and you’re automatically entered into a sweepstakes* for exciting prizes. You might even score a VIP experience at Microsoft Ignite 2026, complete with your very own pair of bedazzled shoes. (If you register before June 8, 2026, you’ll get two entries and double your chance of winning.)* Complete an AI Skills Fest featured playlist, and earn a Credly badge* you can share. Finish an eligible playlist and receive a voucher for select Certification exams. Register now for AI Skills Fest. Mark your calendar for the mainstage moment. Pick a few live sessions. Commit to a skilling playlist. Try something hands-on. The festival forecast looks good: the lineup is sunny, and the paths are clear. I’m looking forward to seeing you there! *Friendly fine print: Terms and conditions apply. Sweepstakes, prizes, and Certification exam vouchers are subject to eligibility requirements and other restrictions.New Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate Certification
As organizations expand across cloud and AI, security expectations are rising fast. Exam SC‑500 (beta) helps you demonstrate your skills across identity, data, compute, and threat defense. Security roles are changing fast. As organizations expand across modern cloud environments, the scope of security has broadened. It’s no longer about protecting a single layer, it’s about securing identities, data, infrastructure, and AI systems together, continuously. Microsoft Certifications are evolving alongside these demands, helping you build and demonstrate the skills needed to secure today’s, and tomorrow’s, environments. Introducing the Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate certification. This new certification validates your ability to design and implement end-to-end security controls across cloud environments using modern, enterprise-ready security patterns. To earn it, you’ll need to pass Exam SC-500: Implementing End-to-End Security Controls for Cloud and AI Workloads, now available in beta. Is this the right Certification for you? This Certification reflects the security skills used to help protect modern cloud environments that support AI workloads, including identity protection, data security, AI model security, and cloud threat defense. It assesses a candidate’s knowledge of how to: Manage identity, access, and governance Secure storage, databases, and networking Secure compute Monitor and manage security posture Exam SC-500 is designed for security engineers who protect organizational systems and data across cloud and hybrid environments by implementing comprehensive security controls that proactively help prevent unauthorized access and mitigate risks. This role spans multiple security domains, including identity, network, application, data, and compute, and it supports the secure implementation and monitoring of infrastructure, identities, and data used by AI workloads. Responsibilities may include: Securing access to resources by using Microsoft Entra ID and Azure Key Vault Enforcing security and regulatory compliance Protecting cloud infrastructure, data platforms, and applications Securing AI solutions Monitoring and improving overall security posture They may work closely with architects, administrators, engineers, analysts, and developers responsible for Azure, Microsoft 365, identity and access, information protection, security operations, DevOps, application development, database platforms, and networks. Candidates for this exam should have practical experience in administration of Azure and hybrid environments, including compute, network, and storage. They need strong familiarity with Microsoft Entra ID and familiarity with Microsoft 365 administration. Ready to prove your cybersecurity skills? Take advantage of the discounted beta exam offer. The first 300 people who take Exam SC-500 (beta) on or before June 8, 2026, can get 80% off. To receive the discount, when you register for the exam and are prompted for payment, use code VistaSC500. This is not a private access code. The seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. As noted, you must take the exam on or before June 8, 2026. Please note that this discount is not available in Turkey, Pakistan, India, or China. How to prepare Review the Exam SC-500 (beta) page for training resources, exam registration, and other details. The Exam SC-500 study guide explores key topics covered in the exam. Connect with Microsoft Training Services Partners in your area for in-person offerings. Need other preparation ideas? Check out Just How Does One Prepare for Beta Exams? Ready to get started? You can take Certification exams online, from your home or office. Get the details in Online proctored exams: What to expect and how to prepare. Remember, the number of spots is limited to the first 300 candidates on or before June 8, 2026. Beta exam rescoring begins when the exam goes live, with final results released approximately 10 days later. For more details, read Creating high-quality exams: The path from beta to live. Stay tuned for general availability of this Certification in July 2026. Additional information For more cloud and AI Certification updates, read our recent blog post, The AI job boom is here. Are you ready to showcase your skills? Follow our credentials news on The Skills Hub Blog as we roll out additional new Certifications in May, June, and July 2026. Join our Microsoft Worldwide Learning SME Group for Credentials on LinkedIn for beta exam alerts and opportunities to help shape future Microsoft learning and assessments. If you’d like to learn more about Microsoft Credentials, go to AI Skills Navigator.
Turn up the volume for AI Skills Fest—no wristband required
A week of live shows, community moments, flexible learning, and fun festival vibes, all to help you build skills that stick. AI is moving fast, which means a lot of us are trying to keep up in real time. I keep hearing the same questions: Where do I even start? How do I know what to focus on? Am I too late? If you’ve been thinking, I should probably work on my AI skills, you’re in the right place. Microsoft AI Skills Fest is coming. June 8–12, 2026. It’s free. It’s online. And everyone’s invited. Whether you’re a developer, business leader, student, or somewhere in between, there’s content tailored to your role and your comfort level with AI. That includes everything from deep technical skills for IT, data, and security pros to practical skills for marketing and customer service experts, plus much more. AI Skills Fest is powered by AI Skills Navigator, your one-stop shop for AI learning. You’ll find quick-hit sessions, expert talks, live shows, and skilling playlists built around real work. The point of the week? Helping you make real progress with AI—not just building awareness. That means: Skills you can use right away, like crafting an effective prompt to write a sales email, using AI in the classroom, or building a customized agent. Featured playlists that match your role. Progress you can showcase, like a Credly badge. Fun extras, including opportunities to win prizes* and qualify for a Microsoft Certification exam voucher* when you complete a playlist. Yes, I said fun! It’s a festival, after all. Let’s talk perks The satisfaction of learning a new skill is always great. But the feeling you get when it all comes together—and you win something, too—is even better. Register for AI Skills Fest, and you’re automatically entered into a sweepstakes* for exciting prizes. You might even score a VIP experience at Microsoft Ignite 2026, complete with your very own pair of bedazzled shoes. (If you register before June 8, 2026, you’ll get two entries and double your chances of winning.)* Complete an AI Skills Fest featured playlist, and earn a Credly badge you can share. Finish an eligible playlist, and receive a voucher for select Certification exams. * Friendly fine print: Terms and conditions apply. Sweepstakes, prizes, and Certification exam vouchers are subject to eligibility requirements and other restrictions. The festival vibe is real—find your perfect path AI Skills Fest is a choose-your-own-adventure week, but it’s not a scavenger hunt. We guide you with clear paths so you don’t have to guess what to do next. Kick things off with the Mainstage, featuring global AI experts and real, candid perspectives from around the world. Follow your own learning path with role‑based skilling playlists, short on‑demand sessions, daily live shows on LinkedIn, and hands‑on opportunities, including an exciting hackathon. Mix and match the options that work best for you. Get Certification‑ready with live, expert-led exam prep sessions. Depending on where you are, you may also find local skilling activities, designed for different regions, time zones, and languages, delivered by Microsoft Training Services Partners (TSPs). Our hope is that you leave with skills you can actually use, along with a clearer sense of when to lean on AI and when to lean on those human skills that AI can’t replace. Start where you are—there’s something for everyone If you’re a business professional, you don’t just need “extra time.” You need steps that fit real life. Learn simple but powerful ways to use AI in everyday work, like drafting the first version of a brief, making research more efficient, or responding faster to customers. If you lead a team or a business, you’re setting the tone for others. And you’re trying to lead practical change, not chase hype. Use the week as a jump-start for you and your team. Learn together, build a shared baseline, and turn “we should be putting AI to better use” into something concrete. If you’re a developer, you’re either already building with AI or you want to build with AI. Dig into AI-assisted coding, create agents, and take on a hackathon-style challenge—perfect if you enjoy friendly competition (and maybe some bragging rights). If you’re in IT, data, or security, AI is landing on your desk from every direction. Get grounded in the essentials: AI-ready Azure basics, agents, data governance, and fundamentals for securing AI solutions end to end. If you’re a student or educator, AI is becoming part of your classes and your career. Learn responsible ways to use AI for learning, teaching, and research. And see what AI skills can look like as you figure out and prepare for what’s next. Don’t sit this one out—mark your calendar today! If you’ve been meaning to get more hands-on with AI, this is your week. Register for AI Skills Fest now. Mark your calendar for a couple of sessions. Bring a teammate. Make it a thing. And, if you like details, we’ve got you. Next week, we’ll share a guide to the different AI Skills Fest moments and opportunities, along with a downloadable calendar so you can find your favorites and block out the time. Plus, we’ll be announcing some of the star speakers who are headlining AI Skills Fest. You won’t want to miss it!New ways to learn and demonstrate skills
Announcing new opportunities within the Microsoft Credentials ecosystem, plus new skilling partnerships with Microsoft technology partners. At Microsoft Build 2026, we’re introducing new ways for developers to learn and demonstrate skills in the tools they use every day. Today, we’re announcing: Microsoft Pro Badges, first-of-their-kind credentials that set a new standard for recognizing real-world skills and proficiencies demonstrated through everyday work. An evolution of Microsoft Applied Skills. Co-authored skilling experiences with Anthropic in AI Skills Navigator. Recognizing real-world skills as they develop For decades, Microsoft Certifications have helped professionals showcase role-based expertise and advance their careers. We added Microsoft Applied Skills (scenario-based lab assessments) to capture project execution abilities. As work continues to evolve, learning happens increasingly in your day‑to‑day flow. The same should become true about how your skills are recognized. Microsoft Pro Badges is the next evolution of the Microsoft Credentials portfolio: the first credential of their kind, recognizing real-world achievements without separate tests. Pro Badges enable recognition to evolve alongside changing roles and needs. At their core is Verified Proficiency, our proprietary tool that measures and assesses real-world performance through telemetry, securely capturing evidence of your skills as you work. For organizations, Pro Badges offer a real-time, authentic view of capabilities, creating a window into how team members are actively applying skills and delivering impact. Pro Badges launch in June 2026 in private preview at Microsoft Build, in close partnership with GitHub. The first Pro Badge will cover GitHub Copilot, and it will be in general availability in late October 2026 at GitHub Universe. Additional tools, roles, and scenarios will follow, all also easily sharable on LinkedIn. Join the GitHub Copilot Verified Proficiency Insiders List to be among the first to learn more. Microsoft Applied Skills: Expanding today, awarding Pro Badges soon Microsoft continues to add lab-based assessments that reflect job-relevant skills. Newly available: Microsoft Applied Skills: Resolve GitHub issues using GitHub Copilot Microsoft Applied Skills: Get started developing agents in Microsoft Foundry Microsoft Applied Skills: Integrate model context protocol tools with agents in Microsoft Foundry Coming soon: Microsoft Applied Skills: Protect information in Microsoft 365 Copilot by using Microsoft Purview Microsoft Applied Skills: Create agentic workflows by using Microsoft Foundry Microsoft Applied Skills: Manage GitHub secret scanning by using GitHub Copilot Microsoft Applied Skills: Build an agent in Microsoft Copilot Studio Applied Skills will become part of the new Pro Badges family, offering a unified approach to recognizing real-world skills. Users successfully completing Applied Skills will soon be awarded Pro Badge credentials. Connecting AI skilling across ecosystems Developers increasingly work across models, platforms, data systems, and tools. We’re meeting this moment with a better-together approach to skilling with learning paths jointly authored with Microsoft technology partners and available in AI Skills Navigator. Designed by Microsoft and partner experts, these experiences help you understand how complementary technologies work together in real-world scenarios, while providing connected guidance and practical support to help you get started faster. We’re launching this initiative with Anthropic, starting with a learning path called Get started with Claude in Microsoft Foundry. Additional partners and jointly authored training experiences are on the way. Keep building: Take your skills further at Microsoft AI Skills Fest Join us June 8–12, 2026, for Microsoft AI Skills Fest, a free week of learning designed to help you turn AI momentum into real capability. You’ll learn directly in the tools and workflows you already use, with practical sessions focused on immediate application. If you’re a developer, the Agents League hackathon will be a highlight. This hackathon is an e-sports–inspired challenge where you’ll build and submit an agent, collaborate with peers, climb a live leaderboard, and compete for prizes.* You’ll also have opportunities to win a voucher* for select Microsoft Certification exams, helping you progress toward earning a Certification. AI Skills Fest is your chance to sharpen your AI skills, test yourself in real scenarios, and explore the latest Microsoft Credentials and skilling updates. Register, build, and compete, and then leave with skills you can use in the next steps of your career journey. *Terms and conditions apply.
