AI is changing how people work. Tools like Microsoft Copilot can help people analyze information, create content, automate tasks, and solve problems faster.
But using AI effectively still requires people to understand the work they are asking it to do. They need enough knowledge to give clear instructions, evaluate the results, and know when something isn't right.
That makes foundational skills just as important as the tools built on top of them.
A recent Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) success story from Dentsu East Japan offers a practical example of how those skills can support employees as new technologies become part of everyday work.
Strong AI use starts with understanding the task
Dentsu East Japan introduced MOS training to strengthen employees' Microsoft Office skills. The goal wasn't simply to teach individual Excel or Word features. The organization wanted employees to develop a more systematic understanding of tools they use every day.
That foundation is proving useful as the workplace changes.
Teruhisa Kano of Dentsu East Japan points to one young employee who used Microsoft Copilot Chat to help build an Excel VBA budget analysis simulator in less than a month. The employee had no programming experience and worked extensively with Copilot throughout the process.
But AI wasn't working alone.
“The success was underpinned by the basic knowledge gained from obtaining a MOS certification.”
Understanding concepts such as cell references, formulas, and spreadsheet structure helped the employee communicate more effectively with Copilot and put its suggestions to work.
AI changes how skills are used, not the need for them
As AI becomes more capable, it's easy to assume people will need to know less about the applications they use. But knowing how a tool works can help people get more from AI, not less.
Someone who understands Excel can describe a problem more precisely, recognize whether an AI-generated formula makes sense, and make adjustments when it doesn't. AI can help people work faster, but foundational knowledge helps them give better instructions, evaluate the output, and decide how to apply it.
Kano points to the long-standing computing principle of “garbage in, garbage out.” The quality of the input still matters, and so does the ability to judge the output.
For learners, that means building AI skills doesn't have to come at the expense of foundational digital skills. The two can work together.
Learning skills by using them
How those foundational skills are developed matters, too. At Dentsu East Japan, MOS training emphasizes hands-on practice. Employees learn by watching a task, completing it themselves, comparing their work, and practicing again.
That approach carries through to certification. MOS exams are performance-based, requiring candidates to complete tasks within Microsoft Office applications and demonstrate what they can do.
For educators preparing learners for the workplace, that distinction matters. Learners need more than familiarity with technology. They need opportunities to practice using it, solve problems, and build the judgment to know when and how to apply their skills.
Preparing for what changes next
The applications people use will continue to evolve. So will AI.
That makes the ability to keep learning as important as any single technical skill.
When Kano introduces MOS training to employees, he shows them a folder containing score reports from his own MOS exams and certificates from other IT exams he has completed throughout his career. His message is simple:
“There is meaning in continuing to learn.”
It's a message that reaches beyond Microsoft Office.
Strong foundational skills give learners something to build on as technology changes. They can help learners approach new tools with greater understanding, adapt what they already know, and continue developing their skills throughout their education and careers.
Certification can support that process by providing a structured way to learn, practice, and demonstrate skills. And as Dentsu East Japan's experience shows, foundational Microsoft Office skills aren't separate from what's next. They can help people make better use of it.
See how uses Microsoft Office Specialist to build practical skills and support continuous learning.
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