The Competition is Funded by a Grant from Microsoft Philanthropies

FlagshipKansas.Tech has received funding from Microsoft Philanthropies to launch an UpSkill-A-Thon competition that drives participation in Microsoft’s Skills for Jobs initiative and helps the workforce become more prepared for in-demand roles in the digital economy. The competition will run October 17 through November 16, 2022, and will include $10,000 in prize money. 

Flagship will host a kick-off event featuring comments from Mike Zamrzla, Deputy State Director for U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, and Mary Snapp, Microsoft Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. The event is free and open to the public. It will be held at Groover Labs in Wichita, Kan., at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 21. RSVP at flagshipkansas.tech under About, Events. 

“Flagship has developed a strong partnership over the years with Microsoft, and we are honored to be one of only nine organizations in the country to be chosen to help champion this initiative,” FlagshipKansas.Tech Board Chair and Keycentrix President Luis Rodriguez said. “Our goal is to have 150 individuals participate in the UpSkill-A-Thon, and we believe these skills will help individuals be more successful in their current roles or as they seek out job opportunities.”

UpSkill-A-Thon is part of a new program called Community Skills Initiative Kansas. CSI Kansas helps job seekers and professionals gain new skills for in-demand roles in the digital economy. This suite of online training and resources offers access to hundreds of free online training courses to boost digital skills.

Who can participate?

Register to compete in one of three categories:

• 16-24 years old
  ‍$1,500 first place
  $1,000 second place
  $500 third place
• ‍25 years and older
  ‍$1,500 first place
  $1,000 second place
  $500 third place
• ‍Teams of 2-4
  ‍$2,000 first place
  $1,500 second place
  $500 third place

How Does UpSkill-A-Thon work?

• register online to participate in the UpSkill-A-Thon 
• learn new skills through courses and learning pathways
• finish courses to earn certificates of completion
• download the certificate and send it using the certificate upload form
• each completed course = 1 point
• each completed pathway = 10 points
• whoever has earned the most points in their category at the end of the month wins 

Choose from courses that offer digital skills, soft skills, or essential role-based skills for in-demand careers. All CSI courses are free to complete during the UpSkill-A-Thon. Courses can be taken online easily via smartphone, tablet, desktop, or laptop. All CSI courses are available in English and Spanish.

These courses have been designed to introduce learners to new skills and are available in an on-demand format.

FlagshipKansas.Tech will collaborate with several regional partners on the UpSkill-A-Thon, including the Kansas Department of Commerce, Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas, Groover Labs, Cowley College, Butler Community College, Friends University, Wichita State University, WSU Tech and our other 37 partners to further reach individuals and businesses throughout Kansas. 

Visit the UpSkill-A-Thon website to preview the available courses and register. Registration is now open, and courses will be available for free October 17-November 16. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded by early December.