STEM Action Center and AWS Will Train Idahoans to Put Their Heads in the Cloud

By Amy Atkins

The ability to get consumer goods shipped to our doors, protect important documents and personal media, and create business opportunities is made possible through cloud computing. Although cloud computing is an integral part of our modern lifestyle, many of us don’t know how it works—but thanks to a joint effort between the Idaho STEM Action Center and Amazon Web Services, a number of Idahoans soon will.

During an event on August 11 at the Capitol, newly appointed STEM Action Center Executive Director Dr. Kaitlin Maguire welcomed attendees by announcing the purpose of partnership.

“The STEM Action Center is collaborating with Amazon Web Services to train, upscale, and certify 2,000 Idahoans in cloud computing over the next two years,” Maguire said. “These course offerings we’re partnering on are designed for high school students and higher education students, as well as adults who want to re-skill and re-enter the workforce.” She added that that from July 2020 to June 2021, more than 11,000 cloud-computing jobs were left unfilled. 

Along with Maguire, a number of business, education, and political figures also spoke on the value of this type of training, including Governor Brad Little, who said, “This is a very bold goal: 2,000 in two years. You just let us know how we can help. It’s critical for Idaho to be on offense instead of defense on these jobs.” 

Following Little, U.S. Lead of the AWS Education to Workforce Team Aaron Osmond explained that “Cloud is fundamentally changing industry. It’s changing every industry, and from our perspective, it’s enabling equity in industry as well.”  

College of Eastern Idaho Workforce Training and Continuing Education Executive Director Jeffrey Sneddon then talked about how “a growing number of institutions are participating in this program,” and that “CEI will be offering AWS fundamentals this fall.”

Last but not least, partner at local software and design firm Vynyl and the Built In Idaho/Boise Startup Week/Trailhead collaboration’s Nick Crabbs talked about how this training is timely. 

“You have hospitals and other more traditional businesses that are not tech companies taking advantage of this infrastructure,” Crabbs said. “This is a program we’re excited about.”