Boost Your Team and Your Career with Free Microsoft-Certified Digital Skills Training
Businesses and residents across Tees Valley can upskill in crucial digital skills free of charge.
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Free Microsoft-certified training in the Tees Valley
Baltic Apprenticeships are excited to announce a programme of free, Microsoft-certified digital skills training for the Tees Valley area.
With the demand for digital skills greater than ever, we are offering employers, employees and residents the opportunity to advance their business and their career by upskilling in digital, cloud, data and security free of charge.
With five fully funded courses to choose from, our programme aims to support innovation across the region and address a critical skills shortage – preparing the region’s workforce for the digital revolution.
Because these courses are fully funded, there is no cost to either the employer or the learner – the only requirements are that those taking part are aged 19 and over and have a Tees Valley postcode.
UPCOMING COURSES:
12th January 2026
This Microsoft Office Specialist Excel Associate certification course prepares participants for the MOS Excel Associate Certification by developing essential Excel skills. Delivered live by our in-house Microsoft certified trainers, participants will learn to enter and manipulate data using validation and conditional formatting best practices.
The course covers formulas, functions, PivotTables, and PivotCharts for data analysis, plus creating charts and graphs for data visualisation. Participants will gain comprehensive Excel proficiency to successfully pass the MOS Excel Associate certification exam.
The course includes sitting the MOS: Excel Associate certification exam.
14th January 2026
This Microsoft 365 Fundamentals course is designed to provide foundational knowledge of Microsoft’s integrated cloud platform that combines industry-leading productivity applications with intelligent cloud services and world-class security.
Delivered live by our in-house Microsoft certified trainers, the course begins with cloud computing fundamentals, before discovering how Microsoft 365 solutions enhance productivity, facilitate collaboration, and optimise communications across organisations.
The course includes sitting the MS-900: Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certification exam.
19th January 2026
The Microsoft Security, Compliance & Identity fundamentals certification course is designed to equip participants with foundational knowledge of security, compliance, and identity concepts and related cloud-based Microsoft solutions.
Delivered live by our in-house Microsoft certified trainers, this course prepares participants for the SC-900 certification exam whilst providing practical understanding of Microsoft’s security ecosystem to help organisations protect their digital assets and maintain compliance.
The course includes sitting the SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance & Identity Fundamentals certification exam.
26th January 2026
This Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification course is designed to equip participants with a broad knowledge of cloud computing concepts and core Azure services. Delivered live by our in-house Microsoft certified trainers, the course covers essential cloud deployment models, service types, and the shared responsibility model, whilst exploring Azure’s infrastructure components, computing, networking, and storage services.
Participants will gain practical understanding of Azure’s management and governance features, including cost management, compliance tools, resource management capabilities, and monitoring solutions to effectively oversee Azure environments.
The course includes sitting the AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification exam.
16th March 2026
This Microsoft 365 Fundamentals course is designed to provide foundational knowledge of Microsoft’s integrated cloud platform that combines industry-leading productivity applications with intelligent cloud services and world-class security.
Delivered live by our in-house Microsoft certified trainers, the course begins with cloud computing fundamentals, before discovering how Microsoft 365 solutions enhance productivity, facilitate collaboration, and optimise communications across organisations.
The course includes sitting the MS-900: Microsoft 365 Fundamentals certification exam.
15th April 2026
This Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals certification course provides participants with foundational knowledge of core data concepts and Azure data services. Delivered live by our in-house Microsoft certified trainers, participants will learn about relational, non-relational, big data, and analytics concepts whilst exploring cloud data services within Microsoft Azure.
The course covers relational database services in Azure, Azure storage for non-relational data, Azure Cosmos DB fundamentals, plus large-scale data warehousing, real-time analytics, and data visualisation capabilities to prepare participants for the DP-900 certification exam.
The course includes sitting the DP-900: Azure Data Fundamentals certification exam.
13th May 2026
This Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification course is designed to equip participants with a broad knowledge of cloud computing concepts and core Azure services. Delivered live by our in-house Microsoft certified trainers, the course covers essential cloud deployment models, service types, and the shared responsibility model, whilst exploring Azure’s infrastructure components, computing, networking, and storage services.
Participants will gain practical understanding of Azure’s management and governance features, including cost management, compliance tools, resource management capabilities, and monitoring solutions to effectively oversee Azure environments.
The course includes sitting the AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification exam.
22nd June 2026
The Microsoft Security, Compliance & Identity fundamentals certification course is designed to equip participants with foundational knowledge of security, compliance, and identity concepts and related cloud-based Microsoft solutions.
Delivered live by our in-house Microsoft certified trainers, this course prepares participants for the SC-900 certification exam whilst providing practical understanding of Microsoft’s security ecosystem to help organisations protect their digital assets and maintain compliance.
The course includes sitting the SC-900: Microsoft Security, Compliance & Identity Fundamentals certification exam.
20th July 2026
This Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals certification course provides participants with foundational knowledge of core data concepts and Azure data services. Delivered live by our in-house Microsoft certified trainers, participants will learn about relational, non-relational, big data, and analytics concepts whilst exploring cloud data services within Microsoft Azure.
The course covers relational database services in Azure, Azure storage for non-relational data, Azure Cosmos DB fundamentals, plus large-scale data warehousing, real-time analytics, and data visualisation capabilities to prepare participants for the DP-900 certification exam.
The course includes sitting the DP-900: Azure Data Fundamentals certification exam.
Apply for your place now:
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Upskilling local people and businesses
The courses are designed to provide minimal disruption to business operations, delivered online over the course of two days, followed by an official exam – completion of which will earn participants an official Microsoft certification. The training is delivered live, so participants will be able to ask questions, receive feedback and pick the brains of our expert coaches in an accessible and supportive learning environment.
This is a unique opportunity for businesses to develop their workforce, increase retention and boost morale by offering professional growth – and for people across the region to progress their skills and their career by earning industry-recognised certifications.
The flexibility of the courses means employees can gain valuable, job-relevant skills without stepping away from their day-to-day responsibilities for long – making it easy for businesses to invest in their people and for individuals to build towards promotion.
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Skills employers are looking for
Because the courses are designed to match the roles actively recruited in the market, they offer people out of work or between job roles an opportunity to improve their skills in a way that is aligned with employer demand. And because we’re also experts at matching the right people to the right roles, we can help you take the next step on your employment journey.
For many, this could be an apprenticeship, taking everything you’ve learned on our short course as a starting point in a new digital career. Our in-house recruitment team specialises in sourcing and placing apprentices into the right job role, ensuring a successful placement for both apprentice and employer.
If you feel like an apprenticeship isn’t the right step for you, though, we can still assist. Baltic is partnered with specialist recruitment agencies, and we proactively connect our learners to local job opportunities through our network.