Microsoft opens registration for free AI and cybersecurity courses

Microsoft has announced that applications are open for two free technical mentoring and certification programs for women in the tech industry. Initiatives #ElasnaIA and #SecurityGirls training women to work in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.

Seats are open throughout Brazil and are limited to 100 participants. Half of the spots will be reserved for black and brown people. To participate, you must be at least 18 years old, have completed high school, and identify as a cis or trans woman. You must also have a computer or laptop with internet access.

Candidates for security training must have basic computing and cloud computing infrastructure knowledge. When it comes to AI training, basic logic knowledge and familiarity with a programming language, preferably Python, are required.

Entries can be made until Friday (24th) via the link www.maismulheres.tech/collections. Candidates will be subjected to an online learning competition until 25 March. The final result will be announced on April 3, with individual feedback for each participant in the selection process.

Recommended lessons

The #ElasnaIA program is in its sixth edition and covers topics such as machine learning, artificial intelligence and cloud services. The course is aimed at women who are interested in working in artificial intelligence or data science. The training covers the fundamentals of technology and application development with cognitive services.

The second #SecurityGirls program is for women who want to deepen their knowledge in security and cloud infrastructure. The training, which includes core security, compliance and identity (SCI) and Microsoft Azure content, will include hands-on activities to fix content.

How do the courses work? see schedule

The training will run for six weeks, starting on April 10 and ending on May 25. Each program will promote 15 online meetings with company employees and volunteers from the Women at Microsoft (WAM) sustainability pillars through the Microsoft Teams videoconferencing platform.

Eventually, students will be able to take the AI-900 certification exam for free: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals or SC-900 certification in the case of the ElasnaIA program: Basic security, compliance and identity for the #SecurityGirls program. Graduations take place on 1 June 2023.

The initiatives are part of the Microsoft Mais Brasil plan, which aims to stimulate the digital economy and support social impact and sustainable growth. More than 7 million people have been impacted by the company’s training and retraining programs since July 2020, and more than 1.5 million have completed at least one course.