According to a recent news release, the state will be the first to join the AWS initiative with a focus specifically on providing tech training in rural communities, amid efforts across the country to address the tech talent shortage in IT-related fields. The announcement said the initiative will allow West Virginia’s state government and higher-ed institutions to collaborate with AWS and others to build career training programs, with an emphasis on cybersecurity.
Universities across the state have been working on workforce development initiatives in recent months. In November, West Virginia University worked with AWS to launch a cybersecurity education and training facility, and West Virginia State University opened its Cybersecurity Innovation Center. In August, Marshall University received $45 million from the state to build a National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence for Critical Infrastructure.
“The new AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance in West Virginia continues our global mission of working across government, education, and nonprofits to support organizations and their enduring need for highly qualified talent that is critical to future growth,” Valerie Singer, general manager of AWS worldwide public sector global education, said in a public statement.
The news release said the AWS Tech Alliance includes industry, education and workforce development partnerships in Illinois, New York and Washington, as well as in Egypt, Spain, Italy, Germany and Singapore, where AWS hopes to train more people for careers in cloud support, software development and data integration. It said the alliance in West Virginia will pull together resources from IBM, Trilogy Innovations, NextGen Federal Systems, Vertx Partners, Marshall University, West Virginia University, the WVU Medicine West Virginia University Health System, West Virginia State University and the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia, among others. Factoring in efforts in West Virginia, the Tech Alliance will work with over 80 educational institutions and 380,000 students globally, according to figures on AWS’ website.
