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Amazon launches AWS re:Start, a UK job training and placement program

AWS is partnering with the charity The Prince's Trust and the UK Ministry of Defence to help young adults and veterans develop cloud skills.
Written by Stephanie Condon, Senior Writer

Amazon on Thursday announced it's launching AWS re:Start, a training and job placement program program young adults and veterans in the UK.

The program, launched in partnership with the charity The Prince's Trust, the UK Ministry of Defence and QA Consulting, aims to initially help about 1,000 people improve their technical skills and find IT-related work, regardless of their experience. Participants, the re:Start website says, will learn how to architect, design, and develop cloud-based applications using AWS. They'll also learn how to build applications using languages like Python.

A number of companies have pledged to work with re:Start to place people in jobs, including Amazon.co.uk, Annalect, ARM, Claranet, Cloudreach, Direct Line Group, EDF Energy and Funding Circle.

Amazon's first foray into cloud skills training came with the launch of AWS Educate, back in 2015.

Josh Hardie, deputy director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, told TechRepublic that the UK needs to address its shortage of workers with digital skills. "We may be fifth in the world in terms of availability of technology, but we're 14th in the world in terms of take-up of that technology," he said.

The shortage of workers with cloud skills is a problem for businesses everywhere: In November, Cloud Foundry published its Global Perception Study, which found that all of the nearly 900 executives surveyed are having trouble finding IT employees who understand the cloud.

Meanwhile, back in the US, Amazon announced its plans Thursday to hire 100,000 more full-time employees over the next 18 months, including some AWS engineers and software developers.

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