Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, has announced the launch of the AWS re/Start programme in Singapore. AWS re/Start is a skills development and job training programme that prepares learners for cloud computing careers, and operates in more than 100 cities across more than 40 countries globally.
In Singapore, the programme will operate as a collaboration with Lithan, a digital learning and talents platform with the mission to deliver growth for talents and enterprises in the digital economy. Lithan is offering the programme under the Career Conversion Programme (CCP) for Cloud Professionals – AWS Cloud Specialist by Workforce Singapore (WSG). Companies can obtain salary support from WSG when they tap on the CCP to hire mid-career individuals without prior experience or redeploy eligible to take on cloud practitioner roles.
Concurrently, companies can enrol their employees for optional structured classroom training offered by Lithan and leverage applicable course fee funding by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) to subsidise the AWS re/Start structured classroom training component within the CCP duration.
Upskilling the Singaporean workforce is increasingly important as digitalisation accelerates. New research commissioned by AWS and carried out by strategy and economics consulting firm AlphaBeta shows that the need for digital skills training in Singapore became more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 91% of workers reporting they need more digital skills – the ability and knowledge to apply digital technologies for tasks in the workplace – to cope with changes in their jobs.
The Building Digital Skills for the Changing Workforce report also found that cloud and cybersecurity skills will be the top two most demanded digital skills by employers by 2025.
For individuals, AWS re/Start covers fundamental AWS cloud skills and practical career tips, including interviewing and resume writing. Through real-world, scenario-based exercises, labs, and coursework, students with no prior experience in cloud computing learn to build Linux, Python, networking, security, and relational database skills.
The programme prepares participants for entry-level cloud roles in operations, site reliability, infrastructure support, and more; it also prepares participants and covers the cost of the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification exam, so graduates can validate cloud skills with an industry- recognised credential. Individuals may apply for the CCP for Cloud Professionals with a participating employer to undergo AWS re/Start structured training and on-the-job training to take on their new job role.
“The industry demand for cloud adoption continues to outpace the number of new, cloud-savvy workers, leaving organisations struggling to find and hire the talent needed to implement cloud services,” said Conor McNamara, MD, AWS ASEAN.
“To overcome this divide, cloud talent must be cultivated from non-traditional sources. AWS re/Start provides individuals in Singapore with little to no technology background with the fundamental hard and soft skills to kickstart their cloud career, helping address the current skills gap within the tech field as well as provide people with the opportunity to pivot into this exciting and ever-changing industry.”
Lithan founder and CEO, Leslie Loh, expressed his confidence in the collaboration that aims to lead digital upskilling in cloud computing in Singapore. In his words, “Rapid digitalisation necessitates the development of a pool of talent that’s relevant for the new economy. The goal of this collaboration with AWS re/Start is to develop this pool of talent by helping adult learners to transit into a high growth career, and helping enterprises improve their existing digital workforce. This programme offers enterprises the opportunity to stay one step ahead of digitalisation in their industries.”
Support and assistance to the learners will continue even after they graduate from the program. Leveraging its partnerships with industry-leading institutions, Lithan aims to provide placement opportunities to all graduates within six months after the completion of the program. In Singapore, hiring partners Cloud Kinetics, Geco Asia, Graymatics, and StarHub, have fully committed themselves to welcome graduates of the programme to their companies.
“Cloud skills development is a critical foundation for organisations looking to embark on the digital transformation journey,” Haji Munshi, CEO, Cloud Kinetics. “By collaborating with AWS, we will be providing real-world scenarios and projects for the candidates to work on. We believe this will help fill the talent gap with true cloud practitioners.”
“Cloud roles have accounted for some 40% of our hiring at GECO, year to date. We aim to be an employer of choice for career transiters, as there is good mentoring and coaching support. Currently, we have 45 cloud roles to fill by August. The salary hike is approximately 50% compared to similar roles which are based on traditional non-cloud and on-premises administration or support roles,” said Christie Dao, Director of Capability & Organization Optimization, Geco Asia.
“An upskilling programme, such as AWS re/Start, is an excellent springboard for anyone who has interest in transitioning to a modern IT career in infrastructure management.”
“Graymatics ensures continuous developments and enhancement of our intelligent platform VISTA to solve real-life problem statements,” shared Jagdip Yadav, Manager of Graymatics APAC, a cloud platform providing digital video and image recognition technology to products.
“The AWS re/Start programme will support us in building cloud talent for our growing market, and the tangible hands-on approach in the course will also provide our team with real life scenario practice, something we would like to cultivate our talents to focus on.”
“Connecting digital lives as part of StarHub's five-year transformation strategy DARE+, we are swiftly expanding our cloud offerings, and are placing strong emphasis on attracting, hiring, and retaining talents in this field," said Catherine Chia, Chief Human Resource Officer of StarHub.
"We are pleased to work with AWS and Lithan on the AWS re/Start programme, which enables us to strengthen our pipeline of talents in cloud technology, while empowering non-tech professionals to embark on a new career. More than just tapping on a pool of unconventional candidates, we believe in nurturing and developing people, to seek the best opportunities they deserve.”
Details:
AWS re/Start is a global programme delivered in 40 countries and connects more than 90% of graduates with job interview opportunities. The programme is offered as a standalone or as part of the CCP for Cloud Professionals – AWS Cloud Specialist initiative. Individuals should apply for the CCP through their company. The first AWS re/Start Singapore cohort will kick-off in June; registration is now open. Apply for a Singapore cohort.
