Amazon, State Unveil Cloud Job-Training Initiative At Community Colleges

The state is partnering with its community colleges and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to offer Connecticut residents with technology training opportunities to fill some of the 40,000 posted computing ​“cloud” jobs available as of last year.

The joint initiative was announced Monday at Gateway Community College (GWCC) by Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU), AWS, and the state’s Office of Workforce Strategy.

The partners plan to work together to provide technical skills training and education through an AWS certification program for 2,000 Connecticut residents by 2024.

Three Rivers Community College, Housatonic Community College, Asnuntuck Community College, and Manchester Community College will begin the trainings as soon as this November and December, CSCU President Terrance Cheng said.

The remaining eight community colleges will begin in the coming spring 2022 semester.

The trainings will be non-credit courses that will provide resident with certificates and the skills needed for ​“in-demand careers.” A five-to-seven-week course will cost $795 in fees for certification, said Cheng.

The certification curriculum will focus on cloud computing, which helps Connecticut businesses investing in cloud systems to improve their technology infrastructure, Chief Operating Officer for the State Josh Geballe said.

Geballe highlighted that some jobs can provide residents with six-figure salaries to design, administer, and design cloud systems.

“Today’s announcement is a testament to CSCU’s role as a key component of Connecticut’s workforce pipeline,” GWCC CEO William Brown said.

Aaron Osborn, the U.S. lead for Amazon’s Education to Workforce, said the partnership is an opportunity to improve the state’s education system and AWS workforce.

“We have come a long way, as the world has migrated the importance of moving our infrastructure to the cloud,” Osborne said.

Gov. Ned Lamont said his office is working to offer subsidies for the courses’ out-of-pocket costs, such as child care and transportation, to provide all residents with the opportunity to up their skills.

“I want to do everything I can to make sure that every business in this state knows they can grow and expand with a well-trained workforce right here in the state of Connecticut,” Lamont said. ​“I guarantee you that if you get this AWS certification, you’re gonna have a job.”

The course curriculum is developed by Amazon, which is in the process of training 20 faculty instructors to teach at the Connecticut campuses.

Click here to watch Monday’s full presser.