The collaboration helping to upskill Australia in cloud computing services

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT) has announced a set of online courses that are aimed at filling Australia’s demands for tech-related skills.

The university has teamed up with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to offer two courses to get IT and business professionals up to speed with cloud computing services, a key skillset in today’s digital world.

AWS Cloud Practitioner is aimed at beginners and will help those working in tech and business to upskill by passing the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. It will cover the fundamentals of cloud computing services, as well as wider cloud-related business considerations.

The second online offering, AWS Cloud Architect, takes a more advanced look at the subject area. Aimed at tech professionals, it will prepare students to design, prepare and optimise cloud computing environments to deliver business outcomes.

Mentoring opportunities will be a core aspect of both six-week online courses. AWS premier partner Versent and AWS advanced partner Intellify have already signed on to work with participants.

Cloud computing is one of the biggest growing sectors internationally. With an estimated 81 percent of organisations using cloud services in 2018, the huge growth has left a major skills shortage the world over, and Australia is no different.

While the world has been embracing cloud-based innovation, Australia has been lagging behind, in part because of this shortage of competent staff. This is the exact problem the RMIT and AWS collaboration hopes to fix.

“Cloud computing is continuing to revolutionise how businesses across Australia operate and how their employees work,” RMIT Online CEO Helen Souness said in a statement.

“By offering these industry-developed and certified courses we hope to help bridge gaps that companies across Australia might be facing to ensure they are cloud-ready.”

It’s not just in Australia where Amazon is looking to spread cloud computing competency. The online giant has also partnered with many US universities to help upskill as needed.

The company recently announced it was working with a consortium of high schools and colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area to expand its cloud curriculum. In June they teamed up with George Mason University (GMU) and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to launch a new degree in cloud computing.

While their involvement may seem like a philanthropic outreach to help workers find their place in the modern job market, it’s not an entirely selfless move. Amazon is also ensuring a reliable and skilled tech talent pipeline, something absolutely necessary to their survival and from which they will ultimately benefit.

“AWS Academy offers an institutionally embedded pathway for students to gain the necessary computing skills and knowledge that prepares them for the IT workforce,” said AWS Academy Global Team Lead Scott McKinley.

“Students will graduate with the training and certification that will prepare them for the workforce and help the industry close the skills gap.”

Upon completion of the course, students will receive an RMIT credential and the option to sit for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam.