NAB has become the most certified Microsoft customer in Australia & New Zealand as it continues to invest heavily in technology and its people. NAB is Australia’s largest business bank, with more than 8 million customers worldwide.

Almost 1,800 of NAB’s employees have obtained a Microsoft Certification to date – the highest number of any organisation in Australia outside of Microsoft.

Microsoft Certifications are globally recognised and industry-endorsed evidence that learners have mastered the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in today’s digitally-led world. The role-based certifications educate and test participants of all skill levels on their ability to use products such as Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams.

NAB’s significant achievement is a result of its executive commitment to continuous learning and its broader strategic partnership with Microsoft to build a multi-cloud ecosystem for the bank. Through its Enterprise Skills Initiative, Microsoft’s Worldwide Learning team has been working with NAB’s Cloud Guild since 2020 to amplify learning opportunities for the bank’s employees.

These opportunities include customised training programs and private hackathon-style events for NAB personnel, as well as a Teams channel that fosters continued collaboration between the bank’s staff and Microsoft’s expert training instructors.

Steve Day, Chief Technology Officer at NAB, said: “We are continuing to evolve our industry-leading cloud journey and as we do that, it’s vital that we invest in our colleagues to thrive in this new environment.

Over the last four years, we’ve trained more than 7000 of our people in cloud technology and that continues across our workforces in Australia, Vietnam and India. Our partnership with Microsoft has ensured that our significant investment in technology is well-supported by a significant investment in our people, which ultimately leads to better customer experiences.”

NAB also recently became one of the first companies in the world to train its employees using a blended learning program for the Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator certification.

The program is delivered over four weeks instead of four days for groups of 200 participants. It combines on-demand learning modules with instructor-led sessions so that participants can learn at their own pace. Microsoft’s blended learning program also provides a social community of learning on Teams where participants can engage with their instructors and classmates.

Over the next 18 months, NAB plans to train an additional 4,000 employees in Australia and overseas – including more than 500 engineers and interns – through Microsoft’s learning programs.

Paula Matthews, Chief Learning Officer at Microsoft Australia, said: “On behalf of Microsoft, I would like to congratulate NAB on its amazing learning achievement. NAB is at the forefront of innovation in Australia, and we look forward to continuing to help its workforce keep pace with today’s technological landscape.”