New career options are becoming available to Virginia students.
Amazon Web Services is offering cloud technology learning for partnering school districts, community colleges and universities.
Governor Ralph Northam announced the news on Friday.
“The field of cloud computing is growing and dynamic, and we know that for our Commonwealth to reach new heights and remain a national leader in tech talent, we must build seamless pathways from classrooms to careers at all education levels,” Northam said in a release. “This initiative represents exactly the kind of cooperation we need to ensure that Virginians have access to the skills they need for 21st-century jobs, while also helping employers find Virginia workers with the right training to fill those jobs.”
Photo courtesy of Ketchum
AWS Educate is going to be used in higher education programs and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects in high schools.
Cloud computing degrees can be earned at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and George Mason University (GMU).
The programs are expanding to other colleges and universities through the new partnership.
Positions in the Commonwealth that need cloud computing skills has grown from about 5,000 to 20,000 each month during the past three years, according to Chief Workforce Development Advisor Megan Healy.
“The need for these skills extend well beyond Amazon as a company, or even what we consider the technology industry. Practically every field is growing more reliant on this technology and need people who can make it work,” Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Chancellor Glenn DuBois said in a release. “This collaboration means our students will be at the forefront of a degree program that will help prepare them for high-demand 21st-century jobs.”
