Hyderabad – Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Tech Mahindra Foundation recently celebrated the graduation of upcoming technology professionals from the AWS re/Start program in Hyderabad, India.
AWS re/Start is a free, 12-week, entry-level cloud skills program that helps prepare unemployed and underemployed learners for exciting careers in cloud computing, and connects them with employment opportunities at local employers.
Since launching in India in October 2021, the AWS re/Start program has helped people from a diverse range of non-tech backgrounds pivot to studying tech and gaining vital entry-level cloud skills that prepare them for roles in operations, site reliability, and infrastructure support. The cohort-based training is currently offered in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Vizag, Kurnool, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, and Thiruvananthapuram.
One organization that AWS re/Start collaborates with in India is the Tech Mahindra Foundation which has a vision to empower people through education. The Foundation is especially focused on helping women gain digital skills so they can pursue successful technology careers.
A digital skills study conducted by AlphaBeta and commissioned by AWS shows the COVID-19 pandemic has made women workers in India more aware of the importance of digital skills training, with 97% saying they need more digital skills to cope with the resulting job changes. Meanwhile, 94% of women workers who have participated in digital skills training say it improved their productivity at work, and 91% say they benefited from a salary increase.
The AWS re/Start graduates in Hyderabad have inspirational stories about how they gained the cloud skills and knowledge needed to quickly pivot to a career in cloud computing at a time when India is undergoing rapid digital transformation.
“I graduated with a degree in Biotechnology and had a limited Information Technology background. Before I joined the AWS re/Start program I had doubts whether I could cope with the curriculum, but the program helped me learn key cloud concepts and pass the certification exam. The soft skills training helped me develop confidence and prepare for my job interviews. Thanks to the program, I am currently working at Cloud Kinetics as an Associate Engineer in Chennai,” said Galla Sai Ram, AWS re/Start graduate.
“I was previously working at a steel plant as a Quality Assurance Officer. I always wanted to pivot my career to cloud computing, and so I joined the AWS re/Start program. My instructors at the Tech Mahindra Foundation helped address all my doubts and provided me the support to gain my certification. I am now working as a Senior Assistant Service Delivery Coordinator at DXC Technologies in Bangalore,” said Kanakam Kashi Venkata Durga, AWS re/Start graduate.
“Our team at Tech Mahindra Foundation is happy to be working with AWS to enable young people from diverse tech and non-tech backgrounds to acquire in-demand cloud skills through the AWS re/Start program, and prepare them for employment in the field of cloud computing and Information Technology. We wish all the graduates great success in their new cloud careers,” said Chetan Kapoor, CEO, Tech Mahindra Foundation.
“AWS is deeply committed to supporting India’s digital transformation and the recently launched AWS Asia Pacific (Hyderabad) Region, our second region in India, gives organizations more choice and flexibility to run their workloads in the cloud. To harness the power of the cloud, we need to build a strong, diverse pipeline of digitally skilled talent. We are proud to be working alongside Tech Mahindra Foundation to deliver our AWS re/Start program and help prepare talent for India’s growing technology sector and the workforce at large,” said Amit Mehta, Head of Training and Certification, AWS India Private Limited.
AWS re/Start is a global workforce development program available in 60 countries and connects more than 98% of graduates with job interview opportunities. In India, many local companies and organizations are providing internships and employment opportunities to AWS re/Start graduates, including Capgemini, Accenture, Tata Consultancy Services, Cloud Reach, and Cloud Kinetics.
