Upskilling program, AWS re/Start, doubles its global presence

We’ve long believed in the power of skills training to positively impact people’s lives. We're regularly reminded of that with AWS re/Start. The full-time, 12-week program is free and prepares unemployed or underemployed individuals for careers in cloud computing. It also connects more than 90% of graduates with job interview opportunities.

Last year, as part of our commitment to provide free cloud computing training to 29 million people by 2025, we pledged to double the reach of AWS re/Start from 25 cities globally in 2020 to more than 50 cities in 2021. We're pleased to announce that as of today, we’ve exceeded this —six months ahead of schedule—after hitting that milestone last month.

AWS re/Start is a powerful program that provides organizations with a pipeline of entry-level cloud computing talent. We have been actively expanding the program around the world since it launched globally in 2019. As of July 1, the program has expanded in 2021 to 27 new cities and 13 new countries, including Kenya, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Denmark, Egypt, and Finland, just to name a few.

The program is now in 52 cities across 25 countries—and counting. This is incredibly exciting news. We're regularly reminded of the positive impact the program is having on individuals, organizations, and communities around the world.

Nazar Razak, who found a job at The Financial Times after graduating the program says: “I have the opportunity to talk to colleagues in other teams to learn about the different paths within tech. It’s helping me think about where I might be able to take my career in future. That technique of asking the right questions is something I learned from AWS re/Start.”

Javeriyah, who despite holding a degree, a scholarship and first-class honors in Creative Computing before AWS re/Start had been unable to find a suitable placement when applying for other jobs and apprenticeship schemes said after completing the program: "What I’m most excited about after completing the program is the idea that basically anything is possible. I think after a long time of just being unemployed, you can start to feel demotivated and kind of stuck, so what I’m most looking forward to is finally believing that I can achieve anything that I want."

Janine O’Connor is another example of the program’s impact. After helping young people find jobs, she found herself unemployed. She was interested in launching a career in technology and working towards becoming a software engineer. After completing the AWS re/Start program in London, she is now an Associate Consultant at ECS helping to develop contact centers in the cloud using AWS.

As part of its mission to make cloud skills training accessible, AWS re/Start does not require previous experience in technology. The program is also intentional about recruiting learners from diverse and underrepresented groups. We’ve seen individuals with a range of backgrounds, from retail and hospitality to the military and stay-at-home parents, successfully graduate from the program and into entry-level IT jobs.

AWS re/Start began in 2017, with the first cohort in London, UK. Our goal was simple: help our AWS customers and partners identify skilled entry-level cloud talent. Excitement and demand for the program, both then and now, has enabled AWS re/Start to grow faster than expected to help remove barriers to full-time, skills-based learning opportunities.

AWS re/Start is one of several initiatives AWS offers to help more people become proficient in cloud computing technology. The program is part of our global commitment to help 29 million people grow their technical skills for free.

According to the World Economic Forum, 84% of employers are set to rapidly digitalize working processes, including a significant expansion of remote work. The Geneva-based organization also estimates that 50% of all employees will need reskilling in the next five years.

AWS customers and partners around the world say there are not enough qualified applicants to meet the growing demand for trained cloud talent. While scarcity of highly experienced cloud talent is a major concern for many organizations, AWS sees this need as an opportunity to re-invent how talent is cultivated, trained, and retained.

“As an AWS consultancy, it can be incredibly difficult to continually find skilled engineers with suitable knowledge and experience in the technologies we work with,” said Rob Greenwood, chief technical officer at Steamhaus in Manchester, England. “Therefore, being able to rely on the AWS re/Start program to provide us with enthusiastic, capable people who are eager to learn and progress in their careers has been absolutely invaluable to us as a business.”

At Amazon, we see AWS re/Start as more than a training program. It’s truly a change-your-life program. It has been inspiring to see how participants have come through the program, enthused about what they can do with the cloud. We look forward to growing the program to continue supporting a pipeline of cloud talent around the world.

In Europe, the program is available in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.

To learn more, explore the AWS re/Start program and hear the graduates share their experiences and plans for the future.