The Microsoft AI School by Simplon in Paris is an innovative program that provides training in AI, with a focus on hands-on learning. The school has a high job placement rate, and its graduates are working in various industries, including healthcare, finance, and retail. The program’s success is due in part to its emphasis on problem-solving and teamwork, and its approach to teaching AI in a way that is accessible to people without a strong math or technology background.
Recently, the school collaborated with Microsoft to create a new training program in cybersecurity. The Cybersecurity School is part of Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Skills Plan in France, which aims to train 10,000 new cybersecurity professionals by the end of 2025.
One of the first graduates of the Microsoft AI School by Simplon is Audrey Roumieux, who is now working as a data engineer at Avanade in Paris. Roumieux believes that technology can help people in their lives and businesses, and she sees her work as a way to solve problems and make a difference.
Another graduate, Stan Briand, developed a system using AI and the Internet of Things to detect leaks in the water system of the town of Nevers. The system uses data from 200 sensors to pinpoint where leaks are most likely to be found, freeing up time for other critical maintenance tasks.
Overall, the Microsoft AI School by Simplon is a successful program that is training the next generation of AI professionals in France, and its graduates are making a positive impact in various industries.
Microsoft AI School Helps Close the Gender Gap in Europe’s Digital Workforce
Audrey Roumieux was one of only six women in a group of 84 students when she entered a technology university in Valence, France, to study computer science. However, after completing her studies and landing an internship at a cancer research center, Roumieux became fascinated with machine learning technology. This led her to enroll in the Microsoft AI School by Simplon, a program designed to help women, refugees, people with disabilities, and those seeking second careers enter the world of AI.
Launched in 2018, the Microsoft AI School by Simplon is part of Microsoft’s efforts to increase diversity in the digital workforce and to fill significant labor and gender gaps. According to a 2021 report by the European Commission, Europe will require 20 million information and communications technology (ICT) specialists by 2030. However, currently, there are only 8.4 million ICT specialists working in the European Union, with 81.5% of them being men.
To address this issue, Microsoft has partnered with Simplon, a social enterprise that provides digital training to jobseekers from diverse backgrounds. Simplon has schools in several countries, including France, Belgium, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Jordan, and India. The company’s schools have trained over 25,000 individuals, with about 40% of them being women and approximately 44% without full or any college degrees.
France’s national unemployment agency is the primary channel for new trainees in the AI program, and the French government funds most of the tuition. The program is designed to help individuals with interest and potential to acquire the necessary skills to join the digital workforce. By enrolling in the program, Roumieux, who now works as a data engineer for Avanade, a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture, has become a prime example of the success of the Microsoft AI School by Simplon in closing the gender gap in the digital workforce.
In conclusion, Microsoft and Simplon’s partnership has been instrumental in providing individuals from diverse backgrounds with the necessary skills to join the digital workforce. The Microsoft AI School by Simplon has helped close the gender gap in Europe’s digital workforce, bringing fresh faces and new ideas to an industry that has traditionally been dominated by men.
Simplon’s AI Program Helps Reach Gender Parity in Digital Workforce
Simplon, a social enterprise that specializes in digital training for jobseekers from diverse backgrounds, is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its AI program. Louise Joly, the program administrator, reveals that they have trained around 900 people in the AI program, with women accounting for about 33% of the total. Joly admits that Simplon has long wanted to reach gender parity in its classes, but a variety of barriers have made it challenging to achieve the goal.
To address this issue, Simplon created a prequalification course exclusively for women in the AI program, resulting in a higher completion rate. The school’s hands-on methodology is also instrumental in placing its students in good jobs. Participants in the AI training spend four months in the classroom, seven hours per day, before spending a year in an apprenticeship at a company, with one week in class and three weeks on the job.
Laurent Cetinsoy, a professor in the Microsoft AI School by Simplon in Paris, emphasizes the school’s hands-on approach, saying, “We try to put the student into action as soon as possible, but that doesn’t mean I don’t explain things.” Cetinsoy says that even during the intense class portion of the course, participants work on real projects. In the first year of the program, the class helped an inventor improve a machine that recycles plastic immediately to be used in an attached 3D printer to create new objects. Class members used AI to train the machine to recognize and sort the plastic by type.
Stan Briand, who graduated from the AI School in February 2022 after a year spent in an apprenticeship at LACROIX in Rennes, developed a system using AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) to help detect leaks in the water system of the town of Nevers.
Simplon works with companies to create and continuously improve the training program. Companies select candidates for apprenticeships from Simplon from the beginning of the training program. In this way, Simplon supports companies in a non-traditional recruitment process, producing strong recruits outside of the normal channels, such as level of education, professional background, and previous experience.
In conclusion, Simplon’s AI program has helped in achieving gender parity in the digital workforce, which has long been a struggle. Its prequalification course for women and hands-on methodology has enabled the program to create a more diverse and competent workforce. Furthermore, the apprenticeship aspect of the program, which includes real projects with companies, has been instrumental in helping graduates secure jobs. Simplon’s collaboration with companies and its non-traditional recruitment process has produced strong recruits outside of the normal channels.
AI Specialist Helps Water Systems Avoid Waste through AI
Stan Briand, a graduate of the Microsoft AI School by Simplon, developed a system using AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) to help detect leaks in the water system of the town of Nevers. The system takes data from 200 sensors that detect water flow in the Nevers water network and uses an AI algorithm to analyze it. The AI helps pinpoint where leaks are most likely to be found. France is one of several countries that are experiencing drought, making water resources more precious, and Briand’s system helps to reduce water waste due to pipeline leakage.
“On average in France pipelines are leaking 22 to 25 percent, so about one fourth of the clean water we produce for drinking goes back into nature,” Briand says. “This is due to multiple factors, but the most important one is the pipelines are aging. Aside from the environmental waste, this loss costs huge amounts of money.”
Briand’s supervisor at LACROIX, Reynholds Reinette, says Briand showed skill and initiative in developing the water anomaly detection system, and it was an easy decision to hire him. The project was great, and LACROIX recently hired another Microsoft AI School by Simplon graduate in Rennes and will have another apprentice from the school starting later in the spring.
Before training as an AI specialist, Briand taught English in Chengdu, China, and became an administrator at the national level for a group of English-language schools. He became fascinated with data and computer programming, leading him to apply to the Microsoft-Simplon school.
Cetinsoy, the AI professor, says that the most important factors for success in the program are motivation and willingness to work very hard. “You need an analytical mind and an analytical view to solve problems,” he says. “Good programming skills are more important than being a crack at math.”
In conclusion, Briand’s system provides an innovative solution to pipeline leakage in France, reducing environmental waste and saving money. The use of AI in detecting water anomalies is a step toward solving water resource problems caused by drought. The Microsoft AI School by Simplon has helped Briand and other graduates like him to develop AI skills that are highly valued by companies seeking recruits with strong programming skills.
Microsoft and Simplon have collaborated on a new training program that began in November 2022, a specialization in cybersecurity. The Cybersecurity School is part of Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Skills Plan in France, aiming to train 10,000 new cybersecurity professionals by the end of 2025. The need for capable workers in cybersecurity has become increasingly urgent, as high-profile cyberattacks on telecommunications networks in Portugal, government servers in Poland and oil facilities in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, highlight the problem.
Sixteen students from the first class have completed their coursework and are beginning 16-month apprenticeships at seven different companies in France. The program is an expansion of Microsoft and Simplon’s AI school, which graduated its first class of 35 students in 2018.
Audrey Roumieux, data engineer at Avanade in Paris, was one of the first graduates of the Microsoft AI School by Simplon. After finishing her coursework, she began an apprenticeship at Azeo, which later turned into a full-time job. Roumieux says she likes many things about her job, including the varied clients and their needs, which means she is always learning something new. She believes technology is a way to help people in their lives and businesses.
Before Roumieux trained as an AI specialist, she was given a computer to help her with spelling and grammar as she is dyslexic. This computer helped her a lot, and she realized its potential for solving problems. This belief inspired her to work with technology to help others.
In conclusion, the collaboration between Microsoft and Simplon in France aims to address the urgent need for more cybersecurity professionals. The first class of 16 students have completed their coursework and are now starting their 16-month apprenticeships at different companies in France. The graduates from Microsoft’s AI School by Simplon, like Audrey Roumieux, believe that technology can be a tool to help people and businesses.
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