June 30 deadline to assign remaining Microsoft Training Vouchers

While many of us might be glad to see the end of 2020, the move into 2021 brings with it some important deadlines you won’t want to miss. One of them is the end of life for Microsoft’s training vouchers program.

Currently, all Microsoft Enterprise Agreement customers with Software Assurance accrue training vouchers that can be exchanged (free of charge to the customer) against technical training courses. This accrual ended on Feb. 1, 2021.

After then, you only have until June 30, 2021 to book your eligible training courses through your Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC). All training must be completed by Dec. 31, 2021 when the program officially ends, and all training vouchers expire.

If you’ve never heard of Microsoft Software Assurance Training Vouchers (SATVs), you might be wondering why you should act now. Honestly, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t.

Why Microsoft training vouchers are good for you and your IT teams

Microsoft training vouchers are one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to train your technical staff on how to support and administer Windows 10 and Server, Office 365, Teams, SharePoint, SQL, and other Microsoft solutions. However, it goes beyond that.

Consider these findings from the latest Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report:

• 78% of global IT decision-makers face critical skills gaps
• Skills gaps can cost upwards of $29,000 per employee
• 40% of tech professionals are pursuing new certifications in the next six months
• Lack of opportunities for growth and development is the number 1 reason tech professionals change jobs

In other words, it’s a win-win for you and your technical staff. You get to close skills gaps and provide a better service to your organization, and your technical staff gets to acquire new skills and pursue professional development goals. And it’s free!

Can you use your existing SATVs with SHI?

Yes.

SHI is recognized by Microsoft as an authorized trainer on all popular Microsoft platforms and products. Any Enterprise Agreement customer with Software Assurance that has accrued training vouchers can redeem them against Microsoft technical training courses offered by SHI (even if you didn’t transact your Microsoft licensing agreement through SHI).

At SHI, our technical educators have trained tens of thousands of end users and IT professionals across all kinds of organizations, from Fortune 500s to small- and medium-sized businesses.

Ready to use your Microsoft training vouchers?

There’s no good reason to let your training vouchers expire. After all, you earned them!

With the emphasis on supporting remote employees and the hybrid workforce in 2021, we recommend organizations look at the technical training courses around the following Microsoft collaboration and productivity solutions:

• Office 365 Administration and Troubleshooting
• Microsoft 365 Security Administration
• Managing Microsoft Teams

Getting started is easy. If you’re an existing SHI customer, simply contact your account rep, check what training vouchers you have available, and learn how to select the right courses for you. If you don’t currently transact your Microsoft licensing through SHI, don’t worry. We can still help you check your training voucher eligibility.

But remember, your voucher credits stop accruing on Feb. 1, 2021, and you must book any training courses by June 30, 2021. Don’t miss out by leaving it too late.

If you’d like more detailed instructions on how the Microsoft training voucher program works, we’ve created a handy step-by-step guide. Have additional questions, or want to check your eligibility? Please reach out to TrainingServices@SHI.com.

This post was originally published in December 2020.