TechFluent is preparing to launch its first Business Central training cohort.
Carol Smock, the nonprofit organization’s executive director, says the size of that group will depend on how many Microsoft Partners signal hiring demand, tying workforce development directly to what the Business Central channel says it needs.
“The number of consultants we train will be directly related to how many are needed in the space, as we get going,” Smock said. “If you are going to be interested in hiring consultants either later this year or in the new year, please let us know.”
TechFluent describes itself as a nonprofit focused on reducing income inequality in under-resourced communities through mentorship, business-applications training and career placement. An MSDynamicsWorld report from 2025 showed TechFluent building earlier cohorts around Dynamics 365 CE, Power Platform and Power BI. Smock said this is the first time the organization will launch Business Central initiative.
Why the Business Central training cohort matters
If Partners want more entry-level consultants in the market, TechFluent is asking them to help define the size of the pipeline in advance, then participate in the hiring process that follows.
TechFluent’s model also depends on exposure to the channel itself.
“One of the easiest ways to get them connected to the partner community is through conference, attendance and participation,” Smock said. She also described interviews, networking and career coaching as part of how learners get in front of firms that may hire them.
That helps explain why Directions North America 2026 matters in this plan. Directions says it is the only Business Central event created by Partners, for Partners, and calls itself “the premier source for partnerships in the Business Central community.”
The event runs April 27 to 29 in Orlando. For a group trying to launch its first Business Central cohort, that is a direct route to owners, practice leaders and hiring managers.
What Partners should watch
PartnerTalks recently examined how managed services are becoming core work for Business Central Partners and how the Business Central opportunity for GP Partners is pulling more firms toward the product. A TechFluent cohort sized around Partner demand fits that same pattern. Channel growth creates labour pressure, and labour pressure starts reshaping the institutions around the channel.
TechFluent already has a mission, a training structure and a record of building earlier cohorts. What comes next in Business Central will depend on whether Partners are willing to declare their demand early enough to shape the intake, then meet that intake with real opportunities at the other end. If they do, the channel gets a more deliberate entry path for new consultants. If they do not, the conversation about talent shortages looks less solid than many firms suggest.
