To provide free cloud computing training to youth pursuing a career in tech, YouthWorks collaborated with AWS re/Start to offer free cloud skills training to young Filipinos.
YouthWorks PH is a private-sector driven youth employability program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It partnered with the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) for the initiative. The AWS re/Start program can help unemployed and underemployed youths who have little technology experience develop vital cloud skills and connect them with local employers for job opportunities. The 12-week program is offered at no cost to the learners.
YouthWorks PH is also collaborating with BDO Unibank and technology startups Proudcloud and Launchgarage to support the AWS re/Start program by providing on-the-job training for graduates after they complete their AWS cloud practitioner certification.
“AWS re/Start is a great fit in the YouthWorks PH work-based training model, which provides on-the-job training to improve upskilling in digital technologies,” said PBEd Executive Director Love Basillote.
“As our industry partners prepare for the workforce demands of Industry 4.0, this collaboration can help in building an inclusive and diverse local and global pipeline of new cloud talent,” she said. “We are on cloud nine launching this collaboration for PH workforce development,” she added.
The AlphaBeta research, commissioned by AWS, found that an estimated 86 million more workers will need to be trained in the Asia Pacific region over the next year to keep pace with technological advancements.
Together, PBEd and AWS re/Start can help equip young Filipinos with cloud computing skills, career and resume coaching, and interviews with local employers so they can pursue tech careers and help support the country’s digital transformation.
AWS Philippines Country Head Stephen Thomas Misa explained that AWS re/Start seeks to “bring new talent into the workforce, which can establish a win-win scenario for individuals to launch successful careers in cloud, can assist organizations to increase their competitive edge with in-demand talent, and can help communities to thrive and grow.”
“We are proud to work with PBEd to build the diverse, robust cloud workforce of the future enabling the Philippines to accelerate its digital transformation,” he added.
Starting in November, the first cohort of AWS re/Start graduates are expected to be assigned to support cloud services at BDO Unibank as part of their on-the-job training.
Opportunities to work in cloud operations, site reliability, infrastructure support, and technical adjacent business support functions can await the future graduates of AWS re/Start and YouthWorks PH.
Related to this, BDO Unibank President and CEO Nestor Tan expressed BDO’s commitment to delivering innovative products and services that exceed customer expectations.
“As we take our financial services to the next level with the use of cloud technologies, having the right people for the job is crucial,” he said. “Graduates from AWS re/Start can play a critical role in this big step towards our digitalized future,” he added.