Transform your career with the 5-Day Power Platform Challenge and learn to build a vacation booking app!

Bypass theory and learn the Power Platform by building a working application. No coding skills or experience necessary.
NEXT CHALLENGE STarts 13th March 2023 !!
During this 5-Day Challenge, you will build a vacation booking app with Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Teams, SharePoint, Virtual Agents and Planner. The Challenge takes around 90-minutes per day for 5-days.

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How cOOL would it be if you could say this to a friend ...

"Last week, I built a vacation booking app in the Power Platform and now I'm going to get a job with it!"?

From: Mark Jones, Collab365
Where: Telford, UK

That's exactly what one of our previous Challengers, Steven Walther, would've said. And he got a new job... more on that below. 


What does the "5-Day Power Platform Challenge" mean for you....?


For everyone it's different...


For some of you, you already know that the Power Platform is set to explode in popularity and you want to cash in the Power Platform "Gold rush".


For others, you're in a job that you hate and you want to learn something that will give you a career you love for the next 10+ years.


You may even be a team leader and wanting to re-train your team so you can take advantage of the huge productivity savings the Power Platform offers.


Before I share the "why" behind this Challenge, let me ask you a few questions...

Can you answer "Yes" to any of these questions?

  • Do you enrol in free / paid online courses but never finish them?
  • Do you worry that your skills are falling behind
  • Do you want direct access to coaches who can support you throughout your journey?
  • Are you convinced the Power Platform is a great skill to learn but don't know where to start?
  • Does your company need a Vacation Booking system?
  • Do you prefer to learn with others who are solving the same problems on the same days?
  • Do you like to be held accountable for your success? (I know I do)
  • Are you a complete beginner who doesn't even know what the Power Platform is?
  • Are you looking to change career and want to have something credible to add to your portfolio?
  • Do you enjoy to learn by building something real-world?

If you answered YES to ANY of those questions then I invite you to join the "Power Platform Challenge" and let's turn you into a Power Platform PRO!

When you complete the Challenge you will ...

Have gained the confidence and skills to build your own Power Platform Apps!

Here's a quick tour of what you will learn:

Leverage SharePoint to store and manage leave requests and entitlements

Learn how to explore and manipulate data in SharePoint Lists to manage your staff holiday or vacation data

SharePoint Lists can be used in many different scenarios to store the data needed to power your Power Platform solutions. In this 5-Day Challenge, you will learn how to use SharePoint to manage the leave entitlement and request data that drives the solution. You'll also learn how to create re-usable 'Content-Types' to speed up future rollout.

Work with Power Automate to glue the solution together

Power Automate provides the "Connections" in the Power Platform Solution.

Nearly all solutions can benefit from Power Automate to move data around and connect systems up. The Vacation Booking System is no different as it uses Power Automate to move data around, perform checks and trigger Approvals.

Use Power Apps to view and trigger Vacation Requests

Power Apps will be used as one of the main user interfaces for your staff to manage their requests. No code needed!

We will show you how easy it is to build a Power Apps solution with no code. Once created, staff will be able to view and request vacations and see what they have left from their entitlement.

Engage Power BI To Provide Insights

Power BI provides the ability to see not only your own requests but also for management information around current trends

Power BI is a powerful visualisation tool integrated with Microsoft 365. Once implemented, it will be easy to review requests in real time, understand what's left to take and gather a view across teams. 

Please Note: This solution can either be built in a free training Tenant (we can help guide you on securing a FREE Microsoft 365 Developer Program tenant) or directly within your own Microsoft 365 Tenant.

Get Even More Experience By Using Power Virtual Agents, Planner and Teams  !

The 5-Day Challenge will introduce you to even MORE Power Platform components. This will provide more insight into the wider options available within the Power Platform for your future builds.

You'll build a chatbot to provide an alternative to using the Power App for raising requests for leave.

You'll also give approvers a visual tool using Planner so they can simply drag and drop Approvals rather than replying to emails.

Finally, you'll learn how this all integrates and Pivots around Microsoft Teams as the booking 'hub'.

"Our Challenge inspires you to build your own solutions"

curious to know What You Build In The Challenge? Watch This Video...

Click to play

Steven Walther took the Challenge and it's changed his life:

steven Walther

Restaurant Manger and now Microsoft 365 Consultant

First and foremost, I wish you well. Secondly, I would like to thank you.


Over the last week, I just left my 30+ year career in the restaurant business. I had an amazing informational interview with some amazingly talented people from Timlin in the Greater Boston (U.S.) Area. They have taken a chance on me (Canadian) as an associate engineer (consultant) for M365 and SharePoint. They are impressed with my experience with leadership, management, and customer satisfaction but also recognize my potential to learn and absorb this amazing platform.


The fact that I have taken the 5-day challenge and succeeded has emboldened them to the fact of my commitment to develop and grow in this field. I am forever grateful for the incredible manner in which all of you have created this educational experience. I have had a few weeks to digest what I have learned and have ascertained what I need to know moving forward.


I just wanted to take a moment to simply say Thank You for providing a platform for someone like myself to make a change in their career later in life but have the tools to learn and excel. For that, I will be eternally grateful. I bode all of you well, and I will be joining future challenges to learn and grow.

Heartfelt thanks!


Steven

The Challenge is different from a self-paced course, because we're here to help you through it

Over five, fun-filled days packed with practical learning, you will complete nine modules covering seven services in or closely aligned to the Power Platform. Each day we will support you by posting daily bonus tips to complement the learning modules. We're also on hand in your private Cohort space (in the Collab365 Academy) to answer any questions.

Challenge Day 1
Kick-off
After a warm welcome and orientation in the Collab365 Academy, you'll be ready to get started with the 5-Day Power Platform Challenge.
Learn SharePoint Data
You'll step into the shoes of the Data Manager to create the data infrastructure for the Vacation App solution. During this day we will be creating Lists, Content Types and Site Columns.
Challenge Day 2
Create Approval Workflows
Dive into the Power Platform world starting with Power Automate. Learn how business automation can quickly improve your productivity and efficiency whilst managing people's vacation requests with approvals.

Learn Canvas Power Apps
Consider Power Apps as the face of your vacation app. Learn how to build an intuitive application that your staff can use to book vacations and view important information about their holiday entitlements.
Challenge Day 3
Live Q&A
We'll run a Live Q&A which is ideal if you have any burning questions that we've not already answered in the Collab365 Academy.
Build interactive Chatbots
Dive into Power Virtual Agents using the Microsoft Teams interface to build your first automated chatbot that handles vacation requests from members of staff.

Advanced Power Automate Flows
Expand on your existing Power Automate flow to correctly format date and time expressions so that your formulas can perform calculations.
Challenge Day 4
Advanced Data Control in Power Apps
Learn how to use Collections with Power Apps to bring in data related to staff Leave Entitlements, allowing you to reuse the information in multiple places.

Task Management Using Power Automate
Learn how to integrate Microsoft Planner into your Power Automate flow to automatically create and close tasks when the holiday is requested and approved.
Challenge Day 5
Live Q&A
We'll run another Live Q&A which is ideal if you have any burning questions that we've not already answered in the Collab365 Academy.
Automated Notifications user Power Automate
Learn how to use the power of Power Automate in conjunction with Microsoft Teams to send out scheduled alerts and messages to the staff over Teams. 

Created Reports and Visualisations
Learn how to turn your Leave Entitlements and Leave Request into a beautiful Power BI Dashboard, surface and drill into staff holiday analytics and create reports.
graduation
This is your time to cement your success and earn your rewards. One you've graduated  we will add you to the "Wall Of Fame", issue your certificates and hand over your bonuses!  
How do I graduate?
To validate your success throughout the 5-Day Challenge, we've got a short exam for you to complete to graduate. Don't worry; the exam isn't to be feared, and you can retake it if you don't pass! Everything in the exam has been covered throughout the learning materials you've used over the last 5-Days and should take no longer than 20 minutes to complete. There are no trick questions, and we've made the exam as straightforward as possible as we want to give you the best chance of passing.
What if I can't graduate?
Don't worry if you don't have time to graduate on Day 5 then we do give you extra time. If you don't pass you can also retake it. It's our mission to get you over the line so you can call yourself a "Power Platform Pro"!
post-graduation ...
Continue your learning journey in the Collab365 Academy
Once you've completed the challenge this isn't the end! You will be given access to the Challenge Graduation area in the Academy so you can continue to access all of the workshops, courses, and training included within this offer. 
As soon as you graduate you will be given access to the Discovery Center which allows you to go deeper into the challenge concepts. The best bit? We're always adding to this amazingly useful library. 
Make new friends!
It's much easier to learn together and that's what the Academy is all about!

"The Collab365 Academy is full of friends, all learning together"

For only $24/month (cancel, anytime), you get ALL of these Challenge Resources:

Access to the 5-Day Challenge Training Videos
5-Days of video coaching by Matt Weston MVP. These videos have been carefully curated to ease you into the Power Platform step-by-step. By the end you will be amazed at what you've built. 
($97 Value)
9 Step-by-Step Ebook Guides
If you prefer to learn by reading, no problem! We've produced ebooks that will guide you through the entire build.
($97 Value)
How to setup your development environment guide 
Microsoft offer free developer environments so that you can practice and build the solution without having to pay for your own tenant. We show you exactly how to set this up. If you need more assistance, we're happy to jump on a call to guide you through it.  (If you want to use your own tenant, then that's fine as well).
($19 Value)
Collab365 Coaching throughout
Our Collab365 Coaches will be there to guide you through the challenge daily. The coaches will support you in your own Cohort space (in the Academy) and also via 2 live Q&A meetings.
($500 Value)

We want you to succeed, so we're going to incentivise you with all of this ...

GRADUATION BONUS: Solutions Challenger Credly Certificate
Credly is the leading provider for certificates with companies like Microsoft using them. We've also partnered up to give you a certification when you complete this Challenge.  
($27 Value)
GRADUATION BONUS: Access to the Discovery Center
Our Discovery Center provides extra videos and articles to help you dig further into the concepts covered in the Challenge. We're also adding to this library, frequently.
($47 Value)
GRADUATION BONUS: Solutions Challenger Academy Badge
The Collab365 Academy also has it's own "badge" system. When you graduate we will add a badge to your profile. 
Kudos!
GRADUATION BONUS: Show off you achievement on the Wall of Fame
Our Wall of Fame contains a list of all successful graduates. When you pass we'll also add you! 
Kudos!

Also, as a Collab365 Platinum Member, you will gain access to:

Immediate access to our full training archive

We've packed an amazing amount of content into your subscription and the best part is it will keep growing. You can access Workshops, Challenges, Playbooks, Courses, Ebooks, Conference Sessions & Solutions Days

Collab365 Academy on Circle

A thriving and supportive community full of people who are making it happen!

Our community is built on top of Circle, a leading community platform that our members love. It's bustling with thousands of members, and we also enjoy regular updates from the Circle Team. (It's much better than Facebook).

Live QandA

Live Q&A's hosted by Collab365 Coaches

Our Collab365 Coaches run live events so to get together using Circle's meeting facilities. If you have a burning question for the panel or would like to be on the panel, anything is possible!

Live half-Day workshops presented by Microsoft 365 experts 

Workshops have fast become the event we're famous for. We invite leading experts to spend half a day with you to go deep on a particular subject. Bring your notepad and questions as they're always full of chat and questions from attendees!

Collab365 Training Bundle

Virtual Conferences so you can dedicate a day to catch-up skills quickly!

We produced and delivered the first 24-hour virtual conference for SharePoint in 2014. Since then, we've produced over 20 online conferences and are planning to do more. 

As a Collab365 Platinum Member, we help you at every stage of your learning Journey

And it’s packed with in-depth, practical training and resources on all aspects of planning, building, running and growing a successful membership website.
  • For the BEGINNER

  • For the PRO

JumpStart Challenges and Foundation Courses

Our JumpStart Challenges assume you are an absolute beginner and guide you step-by-step. All you need to do is follow along and build something real-world. Our Foundation Courses are short and to the point and give you a high-level intro to Microsoft 365.

5-Day Power Platform Challenge!

As a Collab365 Platinum Member you also get to take the 5-Day Power Platform Challenge as described on this page. You will love it!

Beginner-level Workshops

You can also enjoy half-day beginner-level Workshops on Power Apps, Power Automate x 2 and Power BI. These were presented in 2022 and can be watched on-demand within the Collab365 Academy. 

Beginner-level Conference Sessions

We've run ten large virtual summits and have made all 318 recordings for you, which is over 200 hours. You will find many entry-level sessions within that library to help you learn.

Beginner-level Ebooks

Finally, we maintain a suite of beginner-level ebooks covering the Power Platform, Teams and SharePoint.

As a Collab365 Platinum Member, you get immediate access to ALL of these Workshops & Events!

Transform your career with the 5-Day Power Platform Challenge and learn to build a vacation booking app!Bypass theory and learn the Power Platform by building a working application. No coding skills or experience necessary.NEXT CHALLENGE STarts 13th March 2023 !!During this 5-Day Challenge, you will build a vacation booking app with Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Teams, SharePoint, Virtual Agents and Planner. The Challenge takes around 90-minutes per day ...

Read More

"Ok, as a Collab365 Platinum Member I can see I get a LOT of training, but, what's it like to take part in the Power Platform Challenge?"

When you attend the Challenge you can expect a next-generation training experience. We know it's really hard to complete a course when you're left alone. Our challenges are fun, cleverly-paced and also give you a degree of accountability ... so you succeed!

DAILY TRAINING MODULES
Each day we release new modules for you to watch and follow along with. There's usually 1-2 hours of training per day. You can either watch the video training or read the guidebook.
collab365 COACHING
Our Collab365 Coaches are on hand to guide and help you through the Challenge. You can ask them questions in the Academy and join our Live Q&A sessions (in Teams).
PEER SUPPORT
You will be taking the Challenge with others who are completing the modules daily. If you wish to, you can learn together and help each other though the Challenge phases.

See what some of our previous Challengers thought of the Challenge experience... 

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Power Platform Challenge

I am forever grateful for the incredible way you have created this educational experience. I have had a few weeks to digest what I have learned and have ascertained what I need to know moving forward. I just wanted to take a moment to simply say Thank You for providing a platform for someone like myself to make a change in their career later in life but have the tools to learn and excel. For that, I will be eternally grateful.

Steven Walther - Musician/IT

Power Platform Challenge

The Challenge has been a great experience, and I liked being able to work with people on a more direct level, The back and forth within the 5-Day Challenge is key to moving ahead. That's not something I've seen in other workshops.

Melissa Burton - Web Technologist at Harvard Business School

Power Platform Challenge

I took the 5-day Challenge to explore the Power Platform's full potential quickly. In addition, I loved the idea that I would build something real-world that taught me all of the significant services. The Challenge was nicely paced, with tasks to do each day, and I loved the idea that Collab365 were on hand to support me.

Cindy Vasey - Compliance Program Manager at AWS

Power Platform Challenge

I didn't know anything about the Power Platform before I started. But by the end of it, I built the vacation-booking app!

It was great because we had all of the modules and support from the coaches in the Collab365 Academy. The one-to-one support we received was brilliant. I was on there, and the Coaches were active all the time and responded to me in minutes.

The Challenge made it feel like everybody on the course was all in it together and had a bit of a competitive element. It motivated me because I wanted the Solutioneer of the day badge.

And I was surprised at how quickly I got the work done each day because I was motivated and wanted to get it done. It was a brilliant week, and I would recommend it to anybody that wants to do it.

Hannah Jones - Junior Software Developer at Experian

Power Platform Challenge

I just earned my Credly certificate for the Power Platform. I had to say the five-day challenge was a fantastic journey for me. I looked at each one of the Power Platform modules separately. So one of my learning goals was to see how they would work together. This challenge did just that, but not just by talking about it instead, the week was spent building a usable application and enhancing it to see how each of those interactions.

Even though the course was great. The main difference was in the approach to learning, having that daily start time with cohorts and coaches that held me accountable and engaged for the week. And by participating in those discussion groups and earning badges, I was motivated to Excel at each day's assignment.

So congratulations on building this excellent platform. I know I'll certainly be signing up for other challenges in the future.

Eric Peterson - IT Consultant at the Salvation Army

Power Platform Challenge

I’m about halfway through this week of the challenge and would highly recommend it to anyone who’s interested in the “Power Tools.” Group discussion each morning, build a real Power Platform solution, earn badges, and get your questions answered by the experts in the field! One of the best learning experiences I’ve had :-)

Joanne Blomert - SharePoint Administrator (APEGA)

Take the Challenge by becoming a Collab365 Platinum Member

Did you know? All of our training content is also sold individually. If you bought the entire catalogue, it'd cost over $1,500. With a 7-Day trial you can access it all right now. 

PAY MONTHLY (includes 7-Day / $1 Trial)

$24

PER MONTH

Pay monthly (7-day / $1 trial). Get access to our entire archive of training plus anything new while your subscription is active.

You are also entitled to a place on the 5-Day Power Platform Challenge


Plan Includes:
  • 4 Challenges (+ more coming soon)
  • 22+ Half-Day Workshops
  • Teams Admin Course
  • 318 Sessions from 10 Virtual Conferences
  • 108 Ebooks
  • Access to the Collab365 Academy Community
  • Curated Learning Paths
  • 7-Day / $1 Trial. Cancel anytime
PAY YEARLY

$247

PER YEAR

Pay yearly (2 months free). Get access to our entire archive of training plus anything new while your subscription is active.

You are also entitled to a place on the 5-Day Power Platform Challenge


Plan Includes:
  • 4 Challenges (+ more coming soon)
  • 22+ Half-Day Workshops
  • Teams Admin Course
  • 318 Sessions from 10 Virtual Conferences
  • 108 Ebooks
  • Access to the Collab365 Academy Community
  • Curated Learning Paths
  • 2 Months FREE!

Still on-the fence? The Power Platform is one the hottest set of skills on the planet to learn!

Did you know there's a massive demand for a set of Microsoft technologies called the ...

"Power Platform"?

In fact, there's an ENORMOUS shift happening in the industry right now.
Businesses can't find enough people who can write code for them, so they're turning to the Power Platform, which doesn't require you to write a single line of code.

Microsoft estimates that we will need to create 450 million new apps using the Power Platform, so this is a BIG Problem that you can help solve.

The Power Platform consists of 3 major products:

  • Power BI - Create incredible reports and dashboards
  • Power Apps - Create awesome mobile apps
  • Power Automate - Connect apps together

Check out these Google Trends for each of the products:

POWER PLATFORM TRENDLINE
POWER BI TRENDLINE
POWER AUTOMATE TRENDLINE
POWER APPS TRENDLINE


The BEST part about the Power Platform is that you DO NOT have to write any code.

All four products are easy to use and allow you to drag and drop widgets onto screens.

The Power Platform is also very EASY to learn.

In fact, both of my daughters (one still at school) built a vacation-booking app (in the Power Platform) with no previous experience.

Although it's easy to learn, the challenge is knowing WHERE to start and HOW to learn it.

That's why we've put together our Power Platform Beginners bundle that will get you started in all 3 services.

We also realise it's tough to learn if you do it alone with no support.

There's never been a better time to learn the Power Platform and become a highly-paid, no-code developer.

CNBC News

News Organisation

"At Microsoft, a simple run of the numbers on how many apps will be built in the next five years shows how critical low-code and no-code software will become. Microsoft expects 500 million new apps to be built in the next half decade, which is more than all the apps built in the last 40 years.

“If that’s true, 450 million have to be built with a low-code tool,” said Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president of the citizen applications platform at Microsoft. “There are not enough humans to code fast enough to build that many. Professional developers should focus on harder challenges than another expense submission form or approval form.”?

Source: CNBC News

Build It. Learn It. Use It. Enhance It.

Now compare an online course with a "5-Day Challenge" where you follow along and see the working solution unfold before your very own eyes: 

  • It's something you can use in your organization: Once you've built the Vacation Booking Solution, you can take it away, customise it and start using it to streamline a business process. 
  • A 5-Day Challenge captures your imagination: Building something "real world" triggers the same parts of your brain as building the Death Star out of Lego. Once you've started, you won't want to stop until it's finished!
  • Support From Real People When You Need it: B.L.U.E is a method that relies on progression. During the 5 day course, each module builds on the previous one so you will consistently make progress towards the finished product. We will also support you via 2 live Q&A's and will be on hand throughout, in the Academy to assist you. We'll help you overcome hurdles and you'll also get encouragement and help from other 365ers as you learn together. 
  • Content Suited to Your Learning Style: Each module contains an eBook you can download and follow on your device, written text to follow in the Academy and a recorded tutorial to help you. Choose the combination that suits you.

Do you fail to complete or get bored with online courses?

At Collab365, we believe that you can't just learn Power Apps and hope for the best.

You must have a grasp of all the other pieces required to make bullet-proof solutions that will put a permanent smile across your boss's face.

We also believe that many of us prefer to learn by "doing".

So if you're a prolific buyer of online courses but never get past "Module 1", you're not alone. 

Often concepts get boring fast. New ideas overwhelm and are easily forgotten. Online self-paced courses require dedication to complete, and many don't even get started.

With our B.L.U.E method and this 5-Day challenge, we believe we have the right recipe to keep you engaged and above all learning at the right pace. 

We provide:

  • A Dedicated Learning Space in the Academy
  • Access to our Collab365 Coaches
  • Unlimited support via Chat and Posts in the Academy if you get stuck
  • Challenges to help you stay motivated
  •  A Credly "Challenger" Certificate to congratulate you for completing the Challenge
  • 2 Live Q&A Sessions to answer your questions

You'll be encouraged to not only learn, but also get creative and win a 'Solutioneer' award. 

At the end, you will have a working product that isn't just a collection of concepts, it will be a fully fledged Power Platform solution you can publish and roll out to your team. 

We're so confident you will complete the course - and love it - we are throwing in a free Credly certificate when you "Graduate" to celebrate your achievement.

Meet Your Challenge Team ...

Jon Manderville

Collab365 coach 

Jon is one of the 5-Day Challenge support coaches at Collab365. He's been working with the Power Platform for some time now and has learned first hand how this challenge works by building the solution himself    

Connor Deasey

COLLAB365 COACH

Connor is one of the 5-Day Challenge Support coaches. He and Jon work alongside each other to support you, as well as help you stay engaged and motivated right until the end. 2 years into his learning of the Power Platform so teaches in terms that beginners will understand. 

Matt Weston MVP

CHALLENGE Presenter 

Matt will take you step by step through the whole process of building your solution. 

From the why, to the how, he will be your guide and has written the eBooks that support the challenge

Try before you buy with our 7-Day / $1 Trial!

If you don't love your subscription, you can change your mind during the trial period and not pay a penny. We hold card detail only for billing if you choose to continue.

If you have any issues or can't find what you want in the seven days, get in touch with our friendly support team, and we will help you until you get the results you need.

Your Questions, Answered

We've tried to answer most of the questions that will be in your mind, but if not, please contact us at hello@collab365.com
Can I Get A Discount?

As you can see from the pricing, we've heavily discounted all of our content for this annual deal. Unfortunately, we can't discount any further.

 
Do I Need To Book on Future Events?

New Live or On-demand events can be accessed with an active subscription. You may need to contact us to unlock access but thats explained in the subscriber area when you join. 

 
Can I Get A Team Subscription

The Subscription is tied to you and your profile only. If you would like to enquire about a team subscription, please email us at hello@collab365.com

 
Can I Cancel?

Of course. We automatically bill you in 12 months time. If you wish to cancel before that, you can do so by using your Academy Profile. 

 
Can I Get An Invoice?

Once you purchase, you will receive an invoice. There is also access once inside the Academy for you to download. 

 
Can I Share My Subscription?

With a Subscription, only your profile and you can access the Academy content. Sharing is against the terms and conditions and may result in suspension of both the account and your subscription. No refund will be offered in these cases. 

 
Who Do I Contact If Theres A Problem

Send us an email at hello@collab365.com and we can help. 

 
Do I Keep My Items If I Cancel?

When You cancel, your subscription will run to the next billing period. After this period you will lose access to the Academy and your profile.