NAAIC works with AWS Tech Alliance to build US-wide AI talent pipeline

Miami Dade College (MDC) is one of the largest and most diverse community colleges in the US, with 96 percent of its 125,000 students coming from underrepresented backgrounds. It is also a leader in technology-focused education. “We were among the first community colleges to develop a cloud computing degree,” says Antonio Delgado, vice president of innovation and technology partnerships at MDC. “We’ve worked with AWS, incorporating everything from cybersecurity to data analysis into our programs over the years.”

The latest phase of the collaboration centers on AI and its application. MDC, along with Houston City College and Maricopa Community Colleges, launched applied AI degrees in 2023 and soon saw an opportunity to bring AI skills to a wider audience. “We established NAAIC to democratize AI education—put its potential in everyone’s hands, not just PhD students,” says Delgado. 

Two major challenges community colleges face are funding and identifying what skills employers need. “AI is a fast-moving area. By the time a college launches a program, AI has evolved—think how quickly we’ve gone from talking about LLMs and prompt engineering to agentic AI and building agents.” 

Working with AWS Tech Alliance—a global coalition that addresses the skills gap and prepares students for the most in-demand technology jobs—NAAIC helps train faculty and build undergraduate programs that align with industry need for AI talent. “There are no books that tell you how to teach AI or what industry workforce requirements are,” says Delgado. “That’s why our collaboration with AWS Tech Alliance is so important. It gives faculty in every college access to the same resources, expertise, and connections.”

In its first year, NAAIC onboarded over 300 colleges, upskilling more than 1,000 faculty, and supported the delivery of AI-focused programs to over 31,000 students nationwide.

As the organization extends to more colleges, faculty, and students, the structure and expertise that AWS Tech Alliance brings is vital, says Delgado: “NAAIC’s reach is nationwide, and the scope of the challenge—workforce development at scale—is something only a partner like AWS Tech Alliance can help us with.”

NAAIC Director Cynthia Pereda adds, “One of the biggest benefits of the partnership is guiding faculty, giving them the tools to gain the skills and apply those skills in the classroom. It’s really transformative for them.”

One example of the resources available to faculty is AWS Tech Alliance’s latest skilling pathway on generative AI. The toolkit provides research and insight into competencies from global hiring managers and access to events, information sessions, and AWS as well as AWS Partner Network content and courses.

In the last quarter of 2025, AWS Tech Alliance organized several applied learning and career activities, including the AI Prompt Challenge in collaboration with CodeSignal, where students developed competence in prompt engineering by building AI apps. The AWS PartyRock Experience and TechConnect 360, both run in conjunction with industry leaders, gave students the chance to engage in AI learning and connect with employers. Together, these sessions attracted over 700 attendees from 51 colleges.  

“The hands-on experiences provided through AWS Tech Alliance give our students direct exposure to the tools and technologies that employers use,” says Samir Saber, Houston City College’s dean of the Digital and Information Technology Center of Excellence. “When students participate in events like the AI Prompt Challenge and AWS PartyRock Experience, they’re not just learning theory—they’re building real skills and opening doors to career opportunities.” 

AWS Tech Alliance has also conducted AI skilling pathway information sessions for 276 faculty and connected 134 faculty to AWS Certified AI Practitioner training, helping them prepare 6,700 students for certification. “AWS Tech Alliance’s role is so much more than running events and providing our colleges with world-class training,” says Pereda. “The team really cares about developing the future workforce.”

With a growing need for AI-skilled talent across all industries in the US, NAAIC-affiliated community colleges supported by AWS Tech Alliance are giving students from all backgrounds the opportunity to develop industry-critical skills. This is helping them find jobs faster and secure higher salaries, with estimates showing US workers with AI skills can earn a 56 percent wage premium over their peers. As Delgado says, “By working with AWS Tech Alliance and the connection that gives us with employers, community colleges can build programs with the right skills and support that help students get into high-paying careers and enable them to progress.”

Scarlet Harrod, Elevate Program manager at services provider Brooksource, sees firsthand how AI skills are transforming the talent landscape. “Students graduating from AWS Tech Alliance- and NAAIC-aligned college and university programs are entering the workforce with the practical AI capabilities that our clients actively seek. This pipeline of job-ready candidates wouldn’t be possible without these partnerships.” 

It’s a partnership that NAAIC is excited to continue. “In the next 2 to 3 years we want to reach 1 million students in community colleges by training 50,000 faculty,” says Delgado. “Through continued collaboration with AWS Tech Alliance and industry, we’re on the right track.”