Microsoft is trying to tempt IT folk to get themselves up to speed with the latest cloud computing skills by offering a bunch of freebies that could help them advance their careers.

The freebies include free trials of Azure and Office 365, as well as support, training credits and some career advice.

Mike Neil, Vice President of Enterprise Cloud at Microsoft, explained that many IT professionals are getting left behind as the enterprise rapidly transitions to the cloud.

“To capture this opportunity, IT professionals need to rapidly familiarize themselves with cloud technologies, and evolve their skills,” he explained.

What Microsoft seems to be getting at is that it, along with companies like Amazon Web Services, Google and others, have spent all this time building up cloud services, but now they’re worried that not enough people know how to use them. That’s why Microsoft has setup its new IT Pro Cloud Essentials certification program with a year’s free subscription.

As part of the package, students will receive $100 of free Azure credits each month for the first three months of the program. In addition, they’ll also get discounts for longer-term access to Azure. They’ll also get free priority support in the TechNet forum, which guarantees fixes within 24 hours, and a free Azure in-house support phone call.

Microsoft also wants to teach techies some new skills, and to that end is offering a three-month cloud training voucher via IT training course provider Pluralsight LLC. That voucher is good for one of ten selected courses available, and students will also be able to take advantage of free access to Pluralsight’s Virtual Academy, and free exams for a limited period. Additionally, Microsoft is throwing in some free testbed examples for students to try out in areas like mobility and security.

For those who’ve already acquired their cloud ‘wings’, Microsoft is also offering free access to its new Microsoft IT Pro Career Center, which provides guidance on how to navigate the cloud jobs market.

“Visitors can map out potential IT roles and progress along coursework that is tailored to those roles. The online resource site also includes expert advice and salary information for in-demand positions,” Microsoft says in its description.

It’s not a bad package at all for any aspiring IT pro wishing to learn a few cloud tricks. Moreover, Microsoft says it won’t start charging for the course until next year, so anyone interested has plenty of time to squeeze in the extra training.

Doing this might seem quite generous, but in reality it’s a no-brainer for Microsoft to try and get as many people as possible acquainted with its new cloud technologies. The cloud is where Microsoft’s betting its house of course, having adopted a “mobile-first, cloud-first” product strategy under CEO Satya Nadella, and it’s a gambit that looks like it’s going to pay off.

Last January Microsoft reported that its cloud services businesses had achieved an annual run rate of $9.4 billion, and investors are eagerly anticipating further growth when the Redmond firm announces its earnings later today.

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