Microsoft Military Affairs expands on-base IT training program to new U.S. locations

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 3, 2015 — Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced that Microsoft Software & Systems Academy (MSSA), which provides IT career training to eligible active-duty U.S. service members, is expanding from three locations to nine and will be servicing 12 military installations.1 Launched in November 2013 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, MSSA helps active duty U.S. service members develop the career skills necessary to meet the IT industry’s high demand for cloud developers, cloud administrators, and database and business intelligence administrators. Upon successful completion of the program, participants gain an interview for a full-time job at Microsoft or one of its hiring partners.

MSSA will now be offered at the following bases and locations:

• Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California
• Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina
• Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia
• Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington
• Jacksonville, Florida, serving the community near Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport
• San Diego, California, serving the community near Naval Station San Diego, Naval Air Station North Island and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
• Three additional Army installations

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will serve as the new designated academic partner for MSSA expansion delivery, providing the infrastructure to deliver Microsoft curriculum and coursework that trains service members on in-demand areas of IT, including cloud development, cloud and database administration, and business intelligence administration. In the Jacksonville and San Diego areas, hosting MSSA courses outside the walls of military installations will allow service members who have already separated from the U.S. military to join in the training, as space allows.

“The skill sets of our servicemen and servicewomen, combined with the IT training they receive in a program like MSSA, position them to strongly compete for high-paying, long-term careers in technology,” said Chris Cortez, vice president of Military Affairs at Microsoft. “Expanding the program not only to East Coast military bases but also to additional installations will allow us to significantly increase our impact in this time of troop transition, when many service members are seeking new, promising career paths. With our many IT industry partners, we can collectively place service members for roles at some of the today’s top companies, getting them excited for a career in technology.”

In its first two years, 17 MSSA cohorts, or classes, have successfully completed the program. Ninety-one percent of MSSA participants graduate, and of those graduates, three-quarters are employed or have gone on to pursue more schooling. Eighty-one companies have hired MSSA grads, and the average starting salary for graduates is more than $70,000.

Microsoft is on track to achieve its goal of hiring about a quarter of the service members it trains through MSSA and is collaborating closely with its hiring partners to open up opportunities for all who complete the program. More information can be found at http://military.microsoft.com.Program details vary by base. For more information, current and former service members may visit their Base Education Center.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

1 Program details vary by base. For more information, current and former service members may visit their Base Education Center.

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