Category: microsoft

Microsoft recognises NextGen of STEM and AI leaders at Microsoft Dream Space Showcase

The third annual Microsoft Dream Space Showcase brought together students from across Ireland to demonstrate how their STEM and AI skills developed during the programme can tackle real-world challenges. Held over three days at Microsoft’s Dublin campus, and supported by three additional regional showcase events, the initiative saw more than 800 students present over 110 innovative projects, providing inspiring solutions to many of today’s environmental, health, wellbeing, and accessibility challenges. From earthquake sensors and plant health monitors to food waste trackers and inclusive communication tools, the projects reflect a wide range of creative, impactful ideas developed by the next generation of STEM leaders.

Launched in 2018, Microsoft Dream Space was designed to provide young people with an opportunity to participate in immersive, research-based STEM experiences to enhance their STEM skills and shift their perceptions about the role technology can play in their future careers. Delivered through a mix of in-person, virtual, on-demand, and community-based programmes, today, Microsoft Dream Space is providing every primary and post-primary student*, as well as their teachers, across the island of Ireland with the opportunity to engage in STEM and AI learning experiences that will equip them with the skills that are required to fully participate in the era of AI.

The Microsoft Dream Space Showcase was launched three years ago with the objective of extending access to the programme’s learning content and supports to students and their teachers in rural communities in collaboration with the Department of Rural and Community Development and local county councils.

Since the first event in 2023, student participation in the Microsoft Dream Space Showcase has grown significantly, with a near 200% increase in project submissions highlighting the growing enthusiasm among this young cohort to apply their STEM and AI knowledge in creative and impactful ways. Students and teachers from communities in Longford, Cork, Mayo, Tipperary, Monaghan and Waterford have been the most engaged in the initiative, with the number of communities involved continuing to grow each year.

As part of the initiative, students embark on a year-long learning journey that combines in-class activities, digital resources, and in-person programme engagement. Using content from three Dream Space TV series – Full STEAM Ahead, Code Green, and brAIn_waves – students develop skills in coding, computational thinking, sustainability, and AI, laying the groundwork for their participation in the Showcase.

The learning journey culminates in the Microsoft Dream Space Showcase where students travel to One Microsoft Place to demonstrate the many ways in which their newly developed STEM skills can help solve real-world problems. From climate action to inclusive design, the projects presented at the Showcase address key challenges linked to the UN Global Goals, demonstrating how technology and creativity can come together to drive positive change.

This year, Microsoft is celebrating its 40th year of innovating and investing in Ireland. To mark this milestone, the company gave a special ‘NextGen 40’ award at the Microsoft Dream Space Showcase to 6th class students from St Marys National School in Edgeworthstown, County Longford for their inspiring project, ‘The Eco-town’. Building on the knowledge and skills that the students developed over the past year, the students created multiple micro:bit devices through coding to transform Edgeworthstown into an eco-town. They focused on key areas such as safety, recycling, and solar energy. As part of the project, the students built a prototype of their local town to demonstrate how their micro:bits would function, offering a clear vision of how technology can enhance sustainability in their community and empower them to achieve more.

James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Leader and Corporate Vice President Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre, said: “As Microsoft celebrates 40 years in Ireland, we are incredibly proud to have students from across the country visit our campus in Leopardstown to showcase the STEM and AI projects they have developed using the digital skills that they have gained throughout their year-long Dream Space journey. With AI transforming how we learn, live and work, it’s vital that every young student, irrespective of their background, can engage confidently in STEM and AI learning.

“The Dream Space Showcase is a powerful reflection of what’s possible when students are given the skills and confidence to explore STEM and AI. This year’s event brought together hundreds of young innovators who used these skills to tackle real-world challenges. Their projects show that the next generation is not just ready to participate in the digital world – they are ready to shape it.

“As we look to the future, Microsoft remains committed to skilling up the next generation. Through Microsoft Dream Space and our broader Skill Up Ireland initiatives, we’re working to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to build the skills they need for the era of AI and is empowered to achieve more.”

Part of the winning team of the NextGen 40 award at this year’s Microsoft Dream Space Showcase, 6th class student Róisin from St. Marys National School in Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford said “We have really enjoyed the Microsoft Dream Space Showcase experience. We loved learning more about STEM and how technology can be used to tackle problems. With my classmates I worked on a project called ’The Eco-town’. For it we used micro:bits to create solutions focused on safety, recycling, and solar energy to make our community more sustainable. It was amazing to see how technology can have a positive impact in the area we live in. We were delighted to win the award.”

 

Reflecting on the impact of Microsoft Dream Space in her classroom, Shannon Boyle a teacher from St. Marys National School Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford said “Microsoft Dream Space has become a vital part of how we teach STEM in our school. The resources are easy to integrate into our day-to-day curriculum and allow us to connect learning to real-world challenges, helping students see how technology can shape their futures. This year, our students won the ‘NextGen 40’ award at Microsoft Dream Space Showcase for The Eco-town—a project tackling sustainability, safety, recycling, and renewable energy in our community. It’s been inspiring to watch them apply coding and digital tools to create practical solutions for Edgeworthstown. Our school moto is ‘Education for Life’. We live this moto out every day and we’re excited to apply this commitment towards bringing STEM to life for the students in our school.”

 

To learn more about Microsoft Dream Space or to access the latest learning resources, visit: https://dreamspace.microsoft.com/en-us/dreamspace/ireland

Microsoft Marks 50th Anniversary with Invite to Students to Join AI Skills Fest

Microsoft marks its 50th anniversary globally, a major milestone on its journey of shaping and developing the innovative technologies transforming our economy and society.

To celebrate this milestone, Microsoft is rolling out AI Skills Fest, a 50-day series of curated events and opportunities to engage in AI discovery and learning. The series of events will cater for everyone from professionals to students and business leaders offering a unique opportunity to advance AI skills through hackathons, live training sessions, on-demand experiences, community events, and much more.

The Microsoft AI Skills Fest will begin with a spectacular Kick-off Celebration on April 8th, 2025. Starting in Australia at 9 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time and wrapping up in the United States at 4 PM Pacific Daylight Time, this 24-hour, globe-spanning event will feature a variety of AI learning activities designed to engage and inspire learners of all experience levels.

In Ireland upper primary, post primary and Youthreach students are also being invited to join the Dream Space Live AI Skills Fest event on April 8th from 10am – 3pm. The five-hour virtual event, streamed live from Microsoft Dream Space, will immerse students in the world of AI through interactive sessions that encourage learners to grow and enhance their AI fluency.

Led by Microsoft’s team of Dream Space educators, learners can look forward to engaging AI sessions tailored to their needs, including hands-on creative AI challenges, discussions on ethical AI, and an exploration of future AI careers.

This event is one of many events taking place across the globe to achieve a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for most users to take an online multi-level artificial intelligence lesson in 24 hours.

“Today, as we celebrate 50 years of innovation at Microsoft, we look forward with great excitement to the opportunities the next era of technological transformation will bring. AI is redefining how we live, work and do business. That’s why it’s crucial we equip everyone across society with the skills and capabilities to succeed in an AI enabled economy”, said James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Leader and Corporate Vice President Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre

“As we mark this milestone, we’re proud to continue delivering on our commitment to empower every individual across Ireland to thrive in the era of AI. Kicking off with a special Microsoft Dream Space event, which will be streamed live for students across the country, the Microsoft AI Skills Fest provides a valuable opportunity to inspire, educate and enhance AI skills and fluency for everyone across the island of Ireland. We hope all students and educators will take the opportunity to engage with this special Dream Space event, and that adults across the island of Ireland will participate in some of the many AI learning events over the next 50 days to advance their AI skills.”

 To register your school for the virtual event on April 8th,  go to Dream Space Live: AI Skills Fest.

For anyone who is not an educator or student and looking to engage with many of the other AI learning opportunities as part of the wider Microsoft AI Skills Fest go AI Skills Fest | Home.

Microsoft celebrates milestone of 25,000 trees planted in south and west Dublin

Microsoft Ireland today celebrated a milestone in its ongoing efforts to support community wellbeing and local biodiversity in south and west Dublin, with 25,000 trees planted across the area.

Coinciding with National Tree Week, the tree planting initiative, now in its third year, was delivered in collaboration with Trees on the Land, and brought together more than 300 volunteers from Microsoft, local community groups, schools and third level institutes to plant trees in communities near the Microsoft data centre campus in Grangecastle.

This year alone, over 8,000 trees have been planted as volunteers came together to improve existing landscape infrastructure and create more green spaces by planting mixed native tree cover at three sites across Dublin – St Aidan’s Community School, Ballyboden St Enda’s GAA Club and TU Dublin Blanchardstown campus.

In total, 15 different tree species were planted across the various sites including oak, birch and hazel, which in turn will help to reduce air pollution in the local community as the woodland matures. Enhancing these natural spaces will benefit local wildlife by providing a valuable source of food and shelter for birds, insects and other fauna.

Of the 8,000 trees planted this year, more than 4,000 trees were planted on the grounds of St Aidan’s Community School, which will provide a new woodlands area that can enable teachers at the school to deliver practical lessons on nature, biodiversity and sustainability. As part of the initiative, Microsoft also worked together with Clondalkin Tidy Towns to donate native trees to members of the local community to help improve the wellbeing of local residents.

Commenting on the milestone, Lavinia Morris, General Manager of Microsoft data centre operations for EMEA, said: “At Microsoft, we’re committed to empowering thriving and sustainable local communities where we operate, in line with our Data Centre Community Pledge. Planting 25,000 trees at various sites across south and west Dublin will help to deliver on this pledge, fostering sustainability and enhancing community wellbeing across the local community, while operating responsibly as a good neighbour.

“I’d like to give a special thanks to the many volunteers from Microsoft and the local community for their generous contribution to the initiative this year and look forward to seeing the positive impact of their work on the local community well into the future.”

Imogen Rabone, Project Coordinator at Trees on the Land, said: “We’re delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with Microsoft on this initiative. The 8,000 trees planted at the sites across south and west Dublin this year will help support local biodiversity and create greener natural spaces that directly benefit local residents. Many thanks to the volunteers from Microsoft and the local community for their brilliant help with the planting work on the ground.”

The tree planting initiative is one of the many ways in which Microsoft is supporting thriving and sustainable communities in south and west Dublin. Earlier this year, the company unveiled the Microsoft Community Fund for South Dublin, which will provide €100,000 in funding for local groups near the company’s data centre campus in Clondalkin to deliver impactful projects focusing on sustainability and digital skilling initiatives.

Since 2008 Microsoft has invested more than €4 million in initiatives that support thriving, sustainable communities in the vicinity of its data centre operations in Clondalkin, assisting more than 60 community projects and engaging 16,000 local people across South and West Dublin.

Microsoft launches Community Fund for South Dublin organisations

Microsoft is unveiling a new fund to support individuals, community groups, schools and non-profits that want to deliver impactful community projects in South Dublin.

The Microsoft Community Fund for South Dublin, managed by non-profit ChangeX, is dedicated to helping support thriving and sustainable communities near the company’s data centre campus in Clondalkin – funding projects related to environmental sustainability and digital skills.

As part of this year’s €100,000 fund, communities will be able to choose from a portfolio of exciting, proven ideas that have already had a positive impact in other communities around the world including a citizen science monitoring scheme to protect water sources, a programme to support the development of school gardens and local biodiversity, and a project aiming to tackle plastic pollution through turning waste into valuable materials.

Applications for funding are open to individuals, groups, schools and non-profits across the South Dublin County Council area. Funding of up to €4,500 per project is available, with a simple step-by-step application process in place to support groups to secure funding. Funding is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with all applicants required to complete a 30-day challenge to unlock funding, which includes establishing a clear project action plan.

The launch of the Microsoft Community Fund for South Dublin builds on the support Microsoft has already provided to local communities. Sixty community projects, focusing on the development of digital skills and empowering local sustainability, have benefitted more than 16,000 community members since 2021 alone. Moreover, since 2008, Microsoft has invested more than €4 million in initiatives that support thriving, sustainable communities in the vicinity of its data centre operations in Clondalkin.

Commenting on the launch of the fund, Lavinia Morris, General Manager of Microsoft data centre operations for EMEA, said: “Last year, Microsoft unveiled our Data Centre Community Pledge, highlighting our commitment to local economies and communities where we operate. As we build and operate a global network of advanced data centres, we recognise the crucial role communities play in this ecosystem. The latest Microsoft Community Fund for South Dublin, announced today, will help deliver on the key pillars of this pledge, advancing community prosperity and well-being, while contributing to a sustainable future, and operating responsibly as a good neighbour.

“Over the past 17 years, Microsoft has invested more than €4m in empowering communities close to our data centre operations in Dublin, helping to enhance people’s digital skills, fostering sustainability and advancing community prosperity and well-being. As part of this investment, Microsoft has directly benefited more than 16,000 local people in communities in South and West Dublin and supported the local organisations that help them thrive. We look forward to witnessing the continued positive impact we can make in creating vibrant and sustainable communities through the roll out of the latest South Dublin community fund.”

Commenting on the initiative, Sandy Hazel, who received support by way of the Fund in 2021 and started an Open Orchard project, said: “We wanted to grow more food but buying fruit trees is expensive. When we heard about the funding provided by Microsoft, we realised it was perfect because it allowed us to get the idea off the ground. The idea behind adding fruit trees and berries to our community garden was to give local children the chance to pick their own fruit and have that experience, which is hard to access when growing up in an urban environment. Spending the funding in local nurseries also helped to support small businesses in the area and give back to the local community.”

Niamh McKenna, co-founder and head of impact at ChangeX, said: “Our partnership with Microsoft has already empowered tens of thousands of local changemakers around the world, and we’re excited to continue that work in Dublin this year.”

To find out more and apply, visit this link: https://bit.ly/3VMcLkr

Microsoft Ireland to mark Girls in ICT Day with live event to inspire participation in STEM

To mark International Girls in ICT Day, Microsoft is hosting a virtual Dream Space event for primary school students across Ireland to inspire them about the opportunities unlocked through STEM and emerging technologies, such as AI.

The unique event will be streamed live from Microsoft Dream Space and feature learning sessions delivered by two fifth class Dream Space Student Ambassadors from Alexandra College, Dublin to peers across the country. Every primary school across the island of Ireland is invited to join the free event on Thursday 25th April between 10am and 12 noon, with the programme suitable for primary school students from third to sixth class (RoI) or P4 to P7 (NI). Teachers can register at the following link to reserve a place for their class.

The immersive event will provide an engaging discussion on the importance of strong women role models in STEM and include an interactive educational experience for students to enhance their STEM skills.

‘Leadership’ is this year’s Girls in ICT Day theme, which closely aligns with the aims of Microsoft’s Dream Space Ambassador Programme, which is focused on advancing STEM leadership amongst young women. The programme helps students develop leadership and digital skills while promoting STEM education within their schools and communities. More than 1,300 Dream Space Ambassadors have graduated from the programme to date, representing 159 schools across the island of Ireland. Each Ambassador completes a series of virtual training sessions during the academic year as part of the programme, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to become STEM leaders in their local community and support, train, and mentor other students and teachers about the benefits of STEM.

The Ambassador programme is one of many that Microsoft Dream Space offers as it strives to provide almost one million students enrolled in primary and secondary schools across the island of Ireland with the opportunities to learn and develop the STEM and AI skills they will need to become the digital leaders of tomorrow.

Since its launch in 2018, over 100,000 girls across Ireland have engaged with Dream Space, helping to encourage more young women to consider a career in STEM.

Dream Space is one of a number of education and skilling programmes that Microsoft is delivering as part of its ambition to ‘Skill Up Ireland’, providing people of all ages, experiences and backgrounds with the opportunity to upskill for an AI enabled future.

James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Lead and Vice President of Microsoft Global Operations Service Center, said: “At Microsoft, we believe it’s crucial that everyone has the opportunity to thrive in the workplaces of tomorrow. With women currently comprising less than a third of the ICT workforce in Ireland, it’s clear that we need to inspire change among the next generation of the workforce and encourage more young women to consider a career in STEM.

“As an industry leader, we believe we have an important role to play in helping to educate young women from a diverse range of backgrounds and communities about the opportunities provided by STEM and provide them with pathways to develop the digital skills to forge a successful career in technology. That’s why we continue to expand and strengthen Microsoft Dream Space, our ambitious programme that is providing every student across the island of Ireland with the opportunity to engage in STEM learning. Since its launch, over 100,000 girls have engaged with the programme, providing an important avenue for more young women to engage with digital technologies and empowering them to consider a career in STEM.

“This week’s live Dream Space event recognises Girls in ICT Day and provides the opportunity for students across the length and breadth of the country to engage in and enjoy a STEM focused lesson and start to develop the skills that will be essential for tomorrow’s leaders. I would encourage every primary school across the country to consider joining the free event this week.”

Speaking ahead of Girls in ICT Day, Isobel Fay, Dream Space Student Ambassador from Our Lady of Mercy Convent School in Booterstown, said, “I’m really excited to take part in the Dream Space Girls in ICT event this week and learn about the importance of technology. Since taking part in the Dream Space Ambassador programme, I’ve learned so much about new technologies like AI and how they can be used to solve different problems in society. All the training has been really helpful in boosting my confidence to speak to students and teachers at my school in Booterstown about all the interesting possibilities that we can use technology for. I’m looking forward to more Dream Space sessions over the coming months and continuing to learn about the latest developments in technology.”

For more information and to register for the Microsoft Dream Space Girls in ICT Day event on Thursday 25th April from 10am – 12pm, please visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/dreamspace/ireland/upcoming-events/.

Microsoft Announces details of new AI Dream Space TV Series: brAIn_waves

Today Microsoft announced details of a newly produced Microsoft Dream Space TV series: brAIn_waves. The series, which is freely available online from today via rte.ie/learn, is designed to develop both AI (Artificial Intelligence) literacy and the skills required for the era of AI in young people.

Microsoft Dream Space TV is an innovative initiative that combines the expertise of the Microsoft education team with RTÉ’s commitment to engage young people in the world of technology and, in this case, AI.

This latest series of Microsoft Dream Space TV is the fifth to be produced in collaboration with RTÉ Learn, with previous episodes focusing on developing digital skills through themes of inclusivity, sustainability, and health and wellbeing.

brAIn_waves

brAIn_waves is comprised of six episodes, two of which have been designed for upper primary school students and four for post primary students. For upper primary school students, the two-part series explores computational thinking, algorithms, data, and how AI works at a basic level. For post-primary students, the four-part series explores the fundamentals of AI and its impact on our everyday lives with specific lesson areas including algorithms, data, machine learning, and ethics.

Post-primary students will have the added opportunity of participating in the Microsoft Dream Space and RTÉ Learn brAIn_waves series competition and will be in with a chance of winning incredible team prizes and competing for the All-Ireland title. The competition element simply focuses on putting the learnings from each episode into practice. Students will be encouraged to work in teams and develop their own AI for Good solutions, which they can then enter into the national brAIn_waves competition. Entries will be evaluated on innovation, data collection, machine learning, impact, creativity, and ethics. 20 teams will win a prize for their school and one overall winner will take home the grand prize and brAIn_waves All-Ireland Title.

Microsoft’s Commitment to Skill Up Ireland
This new online series builds on Microsoft’s recent commitment to help ‘Skill Up Ireland’ for an AI future by way of its national AI skilling programme. The programme is comprised of three initiatives targeted at providing access to industry recognised certificates for adult learners, including in Generative AI, and Microsoft Dream Space AI certificates for student learners.

Commenting on today’s announcement, James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Leader and Vice-President Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre: “We’re delighted to join the team at RTÉ Learn to announce the fifth series from Microsoft Dream Space TV – brAIn_waves. The series’ focus on AI is particularly important given the technology itself is central to many discussions across business, our education sector, and wider society. Through our STEM education experience, Microsoft Dream Space, we are helping the next generation to develop the skills that are required to succeed in our digital society and economy. AI is no longer a future technology, it is rapidly becoming accessible to all, and therefore it’s really important that we seek to immerse students in all things AI, helping to develop their understanding of and skills in this technology“Our commitment at Microsoft to empower people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences to gain the skills that are required to participate in our AI-enabled economy is the driving force behind our national AI skilling programme, which we launched late last year. As part of this commitment, we are providing every student across the island of Ireland – almost 1 million in total – with the opportunity to engage in Dream Space, our STEM-based learning experience.

“Our aspiration is that teachers and students leverage this free learning resource to bring AI to life in classrooms around the country. Critically though, I hope at the end of the series that the students are inspired to learn more about AI and cultivate their skills in this area. Congratulations to everyone involved in making this series a reality.”

Speaking about the initiative Suzanne Kelly, Group Head of Children’s & Young People’s Content at RTÉ said: “RTÉ are excited to once again team up with Microsoft Dream Space, this time to explore the latest frontier in technology – AI.  AI technology touches almost every aspect of our lives and is continually evolving at breakneck speed, this incredibly timely series showcases how best to harness and understand where AI is going next.

“The Dream Space team have created informative, thought provoking, free learning materials to be used in classrooms across Primary and Post Primary schools and RTÉ Learn are delighted to work with Dream Space to deliver these resources.”  

Microsoft Dream Space TV series: brAIn_waves is available from today via rte.ie/learn. A support guide for educators is being made available to support the delivery of the episodes to students and young people in classroom settings.

Microsoft launches National AI Skilling Programme designed to ‘Skill Up Ireland’

Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary TD, joined Microsoft today as it launched an ambitious and far reaching, national Artificial Intelligence (AI) skilling programme. The programme is the central part of Microsoft’s plan to ‘Skill Up Ireland’ – helping to ensure that every person and organisation is ready and equipped for an AI future.

According to Microsoft’s recent Work Trend Index, published in June 2023, AI is expected to create a whole new way of working. 4 in 10 (42%) survey respondents said they spend too much time searching for the right data. 1 in 5 (21%) workers reported using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in their job, while of those who do not use AI (67%), almost 1 in 4 say they would be interested in doing so. The same report identified skills availability as the most important obstacle to the adoption of AI.

All trends indicate that AI is becoming more prolific in the workplace, yet employees don’t feel ready to take advantage of the technology. To address this challenge, Microsoft has designed a National AI skilling programme rooted in providing people of all ages, experiences and ambitions with the opportunity to develop their AI fluency and skills for an AI future. The programme includes a range of AI learning opportunities for young people in primary and post-primary education, as well as courses for graduates and mid-career professionals looking to upskill and specialise in AI.

As part of today’s announcement and its commitment to ‘Skill Up Ireland’, Microsoft announced the details of three new programmes that are now available, which provide access to industry recognised certificates for adult learners, including in Generative AI, and Microsoft Dream Space certificates for student learners.

The first of the new initiatives announced by Microsoft today is a bespoke 6-week “Introduction to AI” course that will be delivered through live virtual sessions. The free course is available to anyone over 18 and is designed to help equip those with little or no understanding of AI with the foundational knowledge, skills and competencies they need to engage more confidently with the current and emerging applications of AI. Learners who complete the course will receive a digital badge and they can also take an exam and earn a Professional Certificate upon passing.

The second initiative announced today is ‘Skills for Jobs’ which has been designed to help graduates and those currently in the workplace to advance their digital and AI skills so they can participate fully in an AI-enabled economy. The initiative offers new courses and provides access to eight Professional Certificates to help people learn the foundational skills and relevant hard and soft skills needed for in-demand tech and tech-enabled jobs. Within the offering there is a dedicated AI learning pathway where learners can improve their AI fluency and achieve a Professional Certificate in Generative AI.  This programme will be delivered in partnership with Fastrack into Information Technology.

Finally, as part of its commitment to the next generation, the company also announced the expansion of the Microsoft Dream Space digital skills offering for primary and post-primary students. Every student now engaging with Dream Space will learn about the fundamentals of AI. This will cover content that looks at how it is created to where it applies in their everyday lives and the opportunities and challenges that come with it including ethical and responsible AI. In addition, early next year a new series of Dream Space TV with lessons created to ensure AI literacy will be made available to almost 1,000,000 students, as well as their teachers, across the island of Ireland. Dream Space certificates will be issued to students who complete the lesson series.

Microsoft’s focus on AI skilling and the new programmes announced today align fully with the Government’s National AI Strategy ‘AI – Here for Good’ which aims to expand access to courses that educate the general public about AI as well as providing AI upskilling and reskilling opportunities for those in the workforce.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Dara Calleary TD, said: “The use and deployment of AI can bring with it huge benefits and efficiencies for society and the economy, but if we are to seize those opportunities, we must be prepared for them and a key part of that is education and upskilling. This Government recognises how critical it is for government, industry and the education sector to work closely together to rapidly expand access to digital and AI skills.    

“I commend Microsoft for playing their part in ensuring that we are building public awareness and informed decision making in order to use AI for our collective good. In particular, the bespoke “Introduction to AI” course is a very welcome contribution to wider digital literacy and digital skills efforts. By encouraging a lifelong learning approach to AI skilling, we can realise the ambition of our National AI Strategy and work towards achieving our goal of 75% of businesses using AI by 2030.”

Minister of State for Skills and Further Education Niall Collins TD said: “I welcome the announcement from Microsoft today. It is an excellent complement to the raft of AI upskilling and reskilling initiatives under way in Higher and Further Education and will help us continue to hit our targets under the National Digital Strategy and EU Digital Decade to 2030.”

James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Leader and Vice-President Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre, said: “AI offers tremendous potential to empower workers, people and communities across Ireland – but only if everyone, everywhere has the skills to use it. With the World Economic Forum estimating that 60% of all employees will need reskilling by 2027, it’s vital that industry play its part in helping the current and future generations to succeed in an AI era.

“At Microsoft we believe that AI-enabled innovation will generate economic and societal opportunities for communities and economies right across the globe and here in Ireland we must be ready to take advantage of this opportunity. The ability to work alongside and utilise AI technology effectively and ethically in the workplace is becoming an essential skill for many jobs.

“By rolling out our new AI learning programmes, we are empowering people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences to gain the analytical, creative thinking and technical skills that are necessary to participate fully in an AI-enabled economy. Through these efforts and our significant investment in skills more broadly we want to play our part in helping to Skill-Up Ireland for an exciting AI future.” 

To learn more about Microsoft’s ambition to Skill Up Ireland and the many skills training initiatives they’re providing, including the new national AI skilling programme, visit: aka.ms/SkillUpIreland.

Microsoft Ireland pedals past €1 million milestone for LauraLynn in decade-long cycling challenge

Microsoft Ireland employees celebrated a key milestone in their decade-long fundraising challenge for LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice, as they pedalled past the €1million fundraising milestone this month. In total, Microsoft’s annual employee charity cycle has raised over €1,134,000 for LauraLynn, which includes more than €291,000 that was raised by way of its most recent cycle earlier this month.

The annual fundraising challenge has seen Microsoft Ireland employees cycle in excess of 4,000 kilometres since 2014, raising vital funds to support LauraLynn’s work in providing palliative care and support to children with life-limiting conditions and their families. This includes therapies such as music therapy, play therapy and bereavement support, as well as vital short stays at the hospice for families in need of respite or crisis care.

This year’s charity cycle took place along the Wild Atlantic Way. Over the course of three days in September, a group of 100 Microsoft Ireland cyclists and support crew travelled 400km along the western seaboard from Clifden, Co. Galway, to Ballina, Co. Mayo.

James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Lead and Vice President for Microsoft Global Operations Service Center, said: “We are incredibly proud of all the Microsoft Ireland team who have gone the extra mile for LauraLynn this year, helping to raise a staggering €291,000 by way of the annual cycle and, in doing so, breaking the €1 million fundraising milestone for the charity over the past decade. It is testament to the dedication and commitment of our employees and supporters that we have been able to achieve this.

“Since the first cycle back in 2014, our teams have been inspired by LauraLynn and the vital care they provide on a daily basis to children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Through the additional €291,000 raised this year, LauraLynn will continue to support increasing numbers of children across the country who are most in need of their help.”

Ray Snowdon, a member of the cycling team and Director of Microsoft Business Operations Fusion Development said: “Having grown from just 10 cyclists in 2014 to a team of over 100 this year, the charity cycle in aid of LauraLynn has brought the Microsoft community together and helped to generate much needed funds for Ireland’s only children’s hospice. We’re incredibly proud of breaking the €1m fundraising milestone this year, something we could not have achieved without the generosity of our families and supporters who have helped to propel us on the road to a million. Our collective efforts are helping LauraLynn to meet the vital needs of children in their care.”

Kerry McLaverty, CEO of LauraLynn, said: “This is an extraordinary achievement by Microsoft Ireland and its employees who have become long-term partners of LauraLynn. It is the tenth year that the team have come out in force to fundraise for LauraLynn and each year they have raised the fundraising bar to new heights. The generosity shown by the Microsoft Ireland team has made a real difference to the lives of children with life-limiting conditions and their families who rely on the care and support of LauraLynn. Partners like Microsoft are vital for us to continue to grow and provide our services. LauraLynn are now supporting more children and families than ever before, alongside our Hospice in Leopardstown the community team operating from Mallow since last year provide care to Cork, Kerry and Limerick families. We have also recently announced our community team expansion brining care into the homes of children and families in the Midlands, West & Northwest of the country.”

The Microsoft Ireland fundraising cycle is just one of the ways in which the company supports LauraLynn. Microsoft has also donated software and provided training to the charity, and Microsoft employees regularly volunteer their time to help at LauraLynn House.

To find out more about the LauraLynn Children’s Hospice, please visit https://lauralynn.ie/.

Version 1 awarded exclusive Global Microsoft Partner of the Year Award for delivery of National Highways app driving safety on England’s roads

IT service provider Version 1 has been awarded a prestigious accolade by Microsoft for its work with the UK’s National Highways to improve safety across the road network across England.

Dublin-founded Version 1 was named the global winner in the Modernising Applications 2023 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards, beating off stiff competition from an international field.

The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognise Microsoft partners which have developed and delivered outstanding Microsoft-based applications, services, and devices during the past year. Awards were classified in various categories, with those honoured chosen from a set of more than 4,200 submitted nominations across 100 countries worldwide.

Version 1 was recognised for providing outstanding solutions and services in Modernising Applications for its innovative transformation of a critical application for National Highways’ Incident Liaison Officers (NILOs). The NILO team are responsible for coordinating information on major incidents – multi-vehicle collisions, severe weather, and freight spillages – over 4,500 miles of England’s strategic road network and are vital to the 254 billion passenger and freight vehicle miles travelled across England every year.

The solution has meant the NILO team has increased the speed at which major traffic incidents are reported by 150%, incident closure efficiency by 82% and incident creation by 50%. It replaces a legacy system and is a key enabler of National Highways £27.4 billion Digital Roads Strategy aimed at revolutionizing how the strategic road network is designed, built, operated and used.

The app significantly improves user productivity and incident handling through easier, faster logging, reporting, and information sharing. This has facilitated smoother coordination of emergency services, dissemination of media updates for the public, and enhanced incident management and road network operation.

Crucially, for road users, this means a safer, easier journey and improved journey times, bolstering England’s reputation for having the safest roads globally. It also helps National Highways deliver on its commitment to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on its roads by 50% by 2025.

The project was delivered using Version 1’s collection of quick-start delivery accelerators, known as Foundations, which uses prebuilt solutions which incorporate industry best practices and utilise best-of-breed open source and cloud-native technologies. Foundations enables a reduced time to market, reduced delivery risk, increased alignment to standards and improved security.

Tom O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer of Version 1, said: “We are delighted to have been named as the global winner in the Modernising Applications 2023 Microsoft Partner of the Year Award. The award cements our reputation as a trusted partner of choice to major organisations in the transformation of critical digital infrastructure and we are pleased to have been recognised by Microsoft.

“The National Highways project is a great example of the transformational projects that Version 1 can deliver which significantly improves efficiency and efficacy for our clients. We are particularly proud to have helped National Highways to make England’s roads safer and thank them for partnering with us.”

Nicole Dezen, Corporate Vice President of Global Partner Solutions at Microsoft, said: “Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2023 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards! The innovative new solutions and services that positively impact customers and enable digital transformation from this year’s winners demonstrate the best of what’s possible with the Microsoft Cloud.”

Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards are announced annually prior to the company’s global partner conference, Microsoft Inspire, which will take place on July 18-19 this year.