AWS Internet Infrastructure Workshop is a free, pioneering pilot program, available to be replicated by other colleges around the country.
March 27, 2023 – SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Bay Area Community College Consortium (BACCC) announced a new collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop the AWS Internet Infrastructure Workshop, a first-of-its-kind two-week program beginning today that will provide students with an introduction to a range of internet infrastructure careers from HVAC, electrical and plumbing, to technology, manufacturing and operations.
Access to the internet is essential for participating in today’s economy, and to bring the internet to everyone, it is essential to train a new workforce to manage that infrastructure. President Biden’s “Internet for All” initiative underscores the need to teach a wide array of skills to a growing workforce that will manage this increasingly vital resource.
The AWS Internet Infrastructure Workshop is a free, 80-hour program that combines lectures, hands-on experiences and facilities tours, to propel students towards a career path in internet infrastructure. The program will open doors to an apprenticeship, employment or additional training for further specialization. This program exposes students to a compilation of occupations in a single workshop as part of Amazon’s commitment to train 29 million people for free on cloud computing and technical skills by 2025.
“AWS believes that skills training can help unlock new and rewarding opportunities for learners of any background. We have been working with community colleges across the country to provide industry-leading training that will serve as the foundation for valuable, in-demand careers,” said Roger Wehner, Director of Economic Development, AWS. “This new program gives students a preview and increased awareness of internet-infrastructure careers that will provide them with pathways to not only help sustain internet access, but fuel expansion to communities with limited access.”
The pilot program will run from March 27 through April 7 at San Jose City College. BACCC, AWS, joint apprenticeship training centers, workforce development boards, and employers collaborated to develop the workshop’s curriculum. Once delivered, the AWS Internet Infrastructure Workshop will be packaged into a well-documented program, designed to be replicated and adapted by other colleges around the country.
According to a January 2023 McKinsey report, the U.S accounts for roughly 40% of worldwide data center investment, with demand expected to grow at 10% per year through 2030. To support this growth, existing building trades and information technology training programs need to incorporate infrastructure-specific workforce skills and knowledge.
“Many students are under the impression that careers in internet infrastructure require computer science degrees, but in reality, there are a wide array of skilled roles that can provide rewarding careers for people with any number of interests,” said Ray Kaupp, Regional Director for ICT, BACCC. “We are thrilled to be piloting this new program with AWS here in the Bay Area to help students take the first step in a career pathway that leads to the jobs that power the internet.”
While this pilot will be based at the San Jose City College Technology Center, participants will spend over half of the time at nearby industry training facilities, a data center construction site, and an operating data center. Individual workshop modules will cover both technical job-specific topics and workplace skills to help participants explore career opportunities and construction apprenticeship programs in the jobs that power the internet. Each module is designed to be delivered primarily as hands-on learning, using equipment commonly employed to build and manage data centers and fiber.
Participants will be exposed to fundamental concepts of internet infrastructure construction, power, mechanical systems, fiber, networking, building controls, and sustainable energy solutions. The workshop will conclude with an opportunity to meet and talk with employers across the range of infrastructure careers.
This workshop was made possible with collaboration of Amazon Web Services, Bay Area Community College Consortium, Build California, Cupertino Electric, Electrical Training Alliance of Silicon Valley . NorCal Joint Apprenticeship Training Center, PG&E Energy Centers, Pipe Trades Training Center, San Jose City College, Suffolk, Work2future Workforce Board, and the City of San Jose.
About the BACCC
The Bay Area Community College Consortium (BACCC) is comprised of 28 colleges surrounding the San Francisco and Monterey Bays and serves as a framework to create career pathways through collaborations with K12 and Adult Education Consortia partners to prepare students for high demand, livable wage jobs. For more information, please visit: baccc.net/iiw
