AWS To Equip 10,000 Students With Cloud Training

Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) and the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Authority, a state corporation under the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology have announced plans to upskill 10,000 students using AWS Academy.

Speaking during the announcement at Connected Kenya 2023 held in Diani, ICT Authority CEO, Stanley Kamanguya said, “One of our mandates as ICT Authority is to promote ICT literacy, capacity, innovation and enterprise. In our 10-year ICT Digital Masterplan 2022-2032, we identified that there is a gap in the non-alignment to the industry needs by universities and colleges. The program we are announcing today with AWS aims to bridge this gap between academia and industry. We are very excited to roll this out and look forward to further expanding the opportunity to students in other tertiary institutions.”

Beginning in June, students can enroll in a ready-to-teach cloud computing curriculum that prepares them to pursue industry-recognized certifications and in-demand jobs.

Robin Njiru, the Regional Public Sector Lead for West, East, and Central Africa at AWS said, “During the Connected Kenya 2022 summit, the Government of Kenya launched its ten-year ICT Digital Masterplan 2022-2032. The program we are announcing today with ICT Authority will see AWS Academy provide a curriculum that helps educators at universities stay at the forefront of cloud innovation so that they can equip students with the skills needed to get hired in one of the fastest-growing industries. The overall objective of this program is to have more individuals that have job-ready skills needed in the workplace.”

AWS aims to work together with organizations, education institutions, and governments to empower individuals along different professional journeys to upskill, reskill, and prepare for high-quality jobs.

Njiru said the company has partnered with Computer Learning Centre (CLC), an AWS Training Partner in the East, West, and South Africa to deliver training on foundational and associate levels to a group of educators to enable them to deliver AWS Academy to 10 public universities across Kenya.

Upon completion of the AWS program, students will be ready to put these practical cloud skills to work in entry-level tech roles. To connect students with employment opportunities, AWS is working with several organisations like Gebeya, a Pan African start-up which hosts a custom platform on AWS that is accessible online to all citizens who want to pursue technology career paths and find jobs.