Brighton · 10 weeks · New cohort starts 12 October 2026 · Applications still open
Microsoft 365 Essentials Skills Bootcamp

Confident digital skills for a new kind of work.

A friendly, practical ten weeks to get confident with the software today's workplaces run on, Microsoft 365 and Copilot, and to move into office-based or hybrid work. You bring the work ethic and the life experience. We'll handle the rest, at a sensible pace, with real support all the way.

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Microsoft 365 Essentials Skills Bootcamp in Brighton
For Brighton & Hove residents aged 50 or over who are currently out of work.

A fresh start, built on what you already bring

Whatever you have done before, your experience counts. This bootcamp is for people who want to move into office-based or hybrid work and need to get confident with the software today's workplaces run on. You are not new to work, and you are not new to learning. Office software is often the one gap between you and a different kind of working life, and over ten weeks we close it together.

Who it's for

You bring the experience.
A working life leaves you with skills that never show up on a software course but matter enormously to employers: reliability, problem-solving, communication, staying calm under pressure, attention to detail, looking after customers, leading a team. Those are the hard parts, and you already have them.
We add the digital confidence.
No prior experience with Microsoft 365 is needed. Everyone starts from zero on office software, and the course is built that way on purpose, at a patient, supportive pace.

What you'll learn

1Working in the cloud: OneDrive, saving and sharing, getting organised.
2Collaborating: Microsoft Teams meetings and chat, and working on shared documents in real time.
3SharePoint: storing, organising and finding information the way employers do.
4Word, Excel and PowerPoint: from the basics to confident, professional, workplace-standard use.
5Microsoft Copilot: using AI as a genuinely useful everyday assistant at work.

How the ten weeks work

Weeks 1 to 5 · Make the Case
Your team picks one of Brighton's big local debates, researches both sides, reaches an evidence-based conclusion, and makes the case professionally across SharePoint, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Weeks 6 to 9 · Open for Business
A real Brighton organisation brings your team a real brief. You turn it into a complete, professional package they can actually use, then present it back to them.
Week 10 · The real interview
You present your work to Brighton employers, then have a genuine job interview with the Project 2 client for a real role, with written feedback.

The two projects

Project 1 · Make the Case (team, Weeks 1 to 5)
Your team picks one of Brighton's big local debates, researches both sides properly, reaches a conclusion based on the evidence, and makes the case professionally: an organised evidence file in SharePoint, a written case in Word, real data and a chart in Excel, and a PowerPoint you present to the room.
Project 2 · Open for Business (team, Weeks 6 to 9)
A real Brighton organisation brings your team a real brief. You turn it into a complete, professional package they can actually use: a planning document, a data workbook, a communications pack and a project tracker. Then you present it back to them.

What you'll walk away with

  • ✓Confident, workplace-standard use of Microsoft 365 and Copilot.
  • ✓A portfolio of real work you would be proud to show an employer.
  • ✓A genuine job interview with a Brighton employer, with written feedback.
  • ✓A place in Tech Talent Champions, where Sussex employers hire emerging tech talent.
  • ✓Up to six months of coaching and help into a role after you finish.

Getting you paid work is our whole mission.

Every week includes a dedicated Opportunity Lab session, and it carries on after the course finishes, with up to six months of coaching and help into work.

A real interview.
The bootcamp ends with a genuine job interview with a Brighton employer, not a mock one.
Get found by employers.
Every learner is put forward to Tech Talent Champions, where Sussex employers hire emerging tech talent.
The Opportunity Lab.
Up to six months of coaching, mentoring and help into a role once you have finished.

The Opportunity Lab is part of the programme and we expect you to attend. If the timing is difficult, for example because you are in work, talk to us and we will work around it where we can.

See how careers support works →

Hear from our learners

From our Winter 2025 showcase event, across all our bootcamps. Clips load on click.

Who can apply

This bootcamp is for adults aged 50 or over who live in Brighton and Hove, are currently out of work, and have the right to work in the UK. You do not need a Jobcentre referral to apply. No prior experience with Microsoft 365 is needed, everyone starts from zero.

Fully funded for eligible learners

This training is worth over £2,000, and it is fully funded for eligible learners. This course is for people who are out of work, so if you meet the criteria your place is fully funded and you pay nothing.

Eligibility confirmed at application.

Check your eligibility

This course is for Brighton & Hove residents aged 50 and over who are out of work. Answer two quick questions to check.

This is a quick guide. Eligibility is always confirmed at application.

Register your interest and start your application now.

Applications are still open for our new cohort starting 12 October 2026. Register your interest and start your application today.