Addressing workforce demand challenges in cloud computing with AWS at Education World Forum

At the Education World Forum (EWF) in London, global leader for workforce and education at Amazon Web Services (AWS) Andrew Ko discussed the workforce shortage in cloud skills – and the importance of piloting initiatives that “cloudify” curriculum to skill-up, upskill, and reskill students, educators, the current workforce, and IT leaders.

As the need increases for skills in technology fields – particularly the cloud – the supply of talent has not matched the demand. Organizations around the world are struggling to identify, recruit, and hire cloud-skilled employees.

“There are millions of new job opportunities. Education leaders can lead the charge and build a skilled workforce so that their economies can be competitive. The workforce of today and tomorrow needs to be built now,” said Ko.

During the session, “Why should we encourage cooperation, collaboration, and community engagements?,” three education ministers joined Ko on stage and shared their thoughts on the topic based on their respective geographies. Panelists included Minister of Science and Education from Croatia Blazenka Divjak, Minister of Education from Cuba Ena Elsa Velazquez Cobiella, and the Federal Minister for Education from Pakistan Honourable Shafqat Mahmood. Each speaker highlighted the need for collaboration across industries to drive change.

Through initiatives like AWS Educate, AWS provides students, educators, and U.S. veterans with no-cost access to self-paced cloud content, training, collaboration tools, and the AWS Educate Job Board. Students using AWS Educate also get access to hands-on learning experiences for the most in-demand cloud jobs through 12 AWS Educate Cloud Career Pathways.

AWS is engaging with leaders in education, policy, and private sector interested in taking action and leading change. For example, the Commonwealth of Virginia adopted programs like the AWS Educate Cloud Degree and cloud services statewide, aimed at modernizing delivery of IT technologies to Virginians and skilling the workforce. Participating leaders involved in these collaborations want to be at the forefront of producing tech talent – which ultimately attracts businesses and drives economic growth.

For the current workforce and those outside the education system, there’s also a need for new ways to gain tech skills or reskill. To provide the mechanism for this requires collaboration and leadership between the public and private sectors. One program that helps recruit unemployed or underemployed individuals is the AWS re/Start Program. In the United Kingdom, the program has helped military veterans and their families as well as young people, prepare to launch careers in cloud technology, providing both coursework and practical training, such as resume and interview coaching, to prepare them for entry-level cloud jobs. This program gives people who may not have considered a cloud career a way to get started.

During a roundtable session at EWF convened by the AWS Institute with Ministers from around the globe, Director of Worldwide Education Programs and AWS Educate Global Leader Ken Eisner discussed the AWS Educate collaboration in the United Kingdom with the Career Colleges Trust as well as universities and colleges across the country. This will be the first international implementation of AWS Educate’s Cloud Degree since it was launched at US community colleges in 2018. As part of this new program, Ravensbourne University London made public its new degree courses this month in digital technologies, designed to prepare students for the multitude of career paths emerging in computing and digital marketing and includes cloud computing and cyber security courses created in collaboration with the AWS Educate Cloud Degree.

By expanding global efforts, AWS looks forward to further collaborations, which will create pathways for workforces in various regions and drive economic growth as well as fuel innovation. Learn more about cloud computing for education and request a consultation. Learn more about AWS and workforce development, AWS Educate, and about the AWS Institute.