Amazon Web Services recently celebrated the graduation of newly certified technology professionals from the AWS re/Start course in Aotearoa.

Taking place at the Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae at Unitec in Auckland on August 25, the graduation celebrated the achievements of students who will now step into crucial roles in New Zealand’s tech sector.

The AWS re/Start initiative is a 12-week entry-level cloud skills program launched in New Zealand in March 2021 and prepares unemployed, underemployed and transitioning learners for crucial careers in cloud computing . The group in this cohort includes many students from Maori and Pasifika communities, with AWS working with Te Paenga and Unitec to deliver the program locally.

Recent research found that cloud and cybersecurity skills are expected to be the two most in-demand digital skills for Kiwi employers by 2025, but the study found that less than a third of organizations have implemented set up training plans. Meanwhile, 67% of Kiwi workers surveyed believed they would need cloud skills training by 2025 to advance in their careers.

Around the world, the AWS re/Start initiative connects more than 90% of graduates with job opportunities. In New Zealand, local businesses and public sector organizations have pledged to provide internships and jobs for AWS re/Start graduate students.

Auckland Council, Datacom, First Table, Foundry, KiwiRail, NEXTGEN Group, Planit Testing, Pushpay, Spark Business Group (Spark, CCL and Leaven), Vector and WayBeyond were all named as sites with opportunities.

There are also opportunities in the public sector, with students able to work with local collaborators like the Department of Social Development (MSD) and the Department of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

Graduate Ash Foster (Waikato Tainui) earned a degree in computer science and worked in construction for several years before retraining and becoming a web developer. He says it provides students with flexible and critical opportunities for growth in the tech industry.

“I think the AWS program is probably the best thing MSD has done in terms of a momentum-building program, and I immediately wanted to be a part of it,” he says.

“You have to be responsible for your own learning, because it’s the nature of our industry to learn all the time.”

Ash now works in a specialized FinOps team at Datacom, having completed an internship there in 2021 as part of his AWS re/Start qualification.

AWS NZ National Public Sector Director Tim Dacombe-Bird says the course is a great way to help fulfill crucial roles in industry and create better opportunities for students.

“AWS re/Start is helping close the skills gap in New Zealand by helping Kiwis launch successful cloud careers, organizations increase their competitive advantage, and communities – especially Mori and Pasifika – thrive and thrive. grow. We are proud to work with Te Paenga and Unitec to create New Zealand’s cloud workforce of the future and enable organizations to accelerate their innovation with AWS. »

AWS re/Start is a global program in 50 countries and is part of what Amazon says is its commitment to provide free public cloud computing skills training to 29 million people worldwide by 2025.