Amazon Web Services launches cloud skills training programme in MENA

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched the AWS re/Start cloud skills training programme in the MENA region.

The programme is aimed at helping unemployed and underemployed people build cloud computing skills and connect them with local employers.

The first cohorts will take place in Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia, and will later expand to additional countries in the Gulf. The initiative is part of Amazon’s effort to provide 29m people around the world with access to free technology skills training by 2025 through various programmes, including AWS re/Start.

Participants of the 12-week programme, called “AWS re/Start,” will learn entry-level cloud computing functions, and will also include career coaching – all delivered by accredited instructors, Amazon said.

With the support of professional mentors and accredited instructors, participants build technology skills such as programming, networking, security, and relational databases through real-world scenario-based learning, hands-on labs, and coursework.

To deliver training to the first cohorts, AWS is collaborating with key institutions in the countries they are launching the programme. In Egypt, AWS is working with the Information Technology Institute (ITI) and IKEN Technology, in Lebanon, training will be delivered by Ruwwad Al Tanmeya, in Tunisia by RBK Tunisia, and in Bahrain by ThinkSmart.

The programme also prepares and covers the cost for participants to take the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.

Tejas Vashi, Global Team Lead for AWS re/Start, said: “We’ve long believed in the power of skills training to positively impact people’s lives, and we are excited to extend the programme to the Mena region, where we continue to invest in a variety of training programmes. AWS re/Start prepares unemployed and underemployed people for careers in cloud computing. It also provides organisations in the region with a pipeline of local, entry-level cloud computing talent. As cloud adoption continues to grow in MENA, we look forward to expanding the programme to more countries and helping to bridge the gap for in-demand cloud skills.”

The AWS re/Start programme has been actively expanding around the world since it launched globally in 2019. The programme is now in 52 cities across 25 countries—and counting.