AWS Training and Certification Blog
Empowering women in product management to build cloud skills
Advancing Women in Tech (AWIT), a global nonprofit that addresses representation gaps in tech leadership, sees the rapid movement to the cloud as an opportunity to upskill professionals into cloud roles and diversify the tech talent pipeline. Founded and led by real-world tech and cloud leaders who make hiring and promotion decisions at the largest tech firms, AWIT’s skills-based trainings help transform lives by preparing learners for high-quality, in-demand careers.
Employers across the globe say there aren’t enough qualified applicants to meet the demand for cloud talent. A 2020 survey from 451 Research revealed that 85% of organizations reported deficits in cloud expertise.
AWIT is helping to close that gap with their portfolio of Real-World Product Management Specializations, which are sponsored by AWS and available exclusively on Coursera. Their selection of Specializations makes technical knowledge easily accessible for learners. The courses in each Specialization emphasize real-world examples and projects and are taught by tech-industry leaders. Training is self-paced, allowing learners to gain career skills around their own schedule.
AWIT is introducing its latest addition, The Real-World Cloud Product Manager Specialization, which equips product managers and other tech professionals with the skills needed to succeed in a technical, cloud-related career. The Specialization teaches foundational knowledge of AWS, including its core services, benefits, pricing, and security mechanisms. Learners can take advantage of multiple-choice practice exams that can help assess their readiness for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. This foundational-level exam allows professionals of all backgrounds to validate their knowledge of the AWS Cloud and its core principles.
Todd Weatherby, vice president of AWS Professional Services and an AWIT expert instructor, said, “There’s a huge skills gap and shortage in the cloud market. All of our customers are asking for more help, all of our partners are asking us to help them ramp up so they can service those customers. No matter your career stage, it’s a great career move to get the skills and certification to put yourself in position against that supply-and-demand imbalance and prepare for a future in the cloud.”
Expert instructors guide learners through the Specialization
I am proud to serve as a lead instructor of this course and general manager of data protection services as AWS and founder and CEO of AWIT. Gordon Yu will also serve as an instructor and is a technical program manager at AWS and general counsel of AWIT. The Specialization also features in-depth conversations with industry-leading executives, including:
- Mai-Lan Tomsen Bukovec, Vice President of Object and Block Storage, AWS
- Erin Yang, Chief Technologist, Workday Ventures
- Boyd Bischoff, Director, AWS Software Development
- Dan Scheinman, Angel Investor in Zoom, SentinelOne, and Arista Networks
- Todd Weatherby, Vice President, AWS Professional Services
Tomsen Bukovec encourages innovators and future-oriented thinkers to become cloud ready. During her expert instructor segment for this Specialization, she shares, “When you think about a good place to spend your time, it’s in learning the services that form the backbone of innovation—the backbone of the revolution that’s happening in applications—and getting the knowledge that you need to support the massive migration to the AWS Cloud that’s happening right now.”
Continue the learning
Learners can take their product management career to the next level by pairing this cloud Specialization with AWIT’s Real-World Product Management Specialization, which offers a comprehensive curriculum of the business, technical, and interviewing fundamentals of product management. Since launching in September 2020, more than 17,000 have enrolled in this Specialization, with hundreds reporting promotions and new job offers following their completion.