Ivy Tech, Department Of Workforce Development Team To Provide Tech Skills Training

This initiative aims to train, upskill, and certify at least 5,000 Hoosiers over the next two years.

(INDIANAPOLIS) - Today, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and Ivy Tech Community College, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), announced a statewide initiative to allow access to cloud computing education courses and certifications for learners in high schools and community colleges across the state. This initiative aims to train, upskill, and certify at least 5,000 Hoosiers over the next two years to qualify for cloud computing jobs in their local communities.

In support of this initiative, AWS has committed to provide education institutions with free professional development, technical training, and a select number of certification exams for educators who will begin teaching cloud computing courses to their students starting next fall. AWS education programs provide education institutions with ready-to-teach, cloud computing curriculum that prepares students for in-demand cloud jobs and industry-recognized AWS Certifications. Education institutions across the state are invited to participate in AWS education programs, including high school, career and technical education sites, community colleges, and universities.

“We are pleased to collaborate with AWS to bring this opportunity to Hoosiers across Indiana,” said Sue Ellspermann, President, Ivy Tech Community College. “As the state’s community college our focus is on bringing the education needed to earn credentials that result in high-paying careers right into the communities we serve. This is a perfect example of how being agile and partnering with our industry experts brings access to training that results in high-paying careers via the community college.”

As part of this commitment, Indiana will create stronger pathways to tech careers and the Indiana DWD has already been playing a critical role in developing and connecting workers to in-demand jobs across the state. By supporting career training for adults and work-based learning opportunities, this initiative has been supported by DWD from the beginning. Many Hoosiers have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reinforced their mission to reskill and upskill all who are interested. “We recognize the economic impact that this collaboration will have on the citizens of this state,” said Fred Payne, Commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development. “We will continue to support this initiative that will reinforce Indiana’s efforts to build and train the workforce of the future.”

According to LinkedIn, cloud computing has remained one of the most in-demand hard skills for the past five years, and two AWS Certifications appear on the top 10 highest paying certifications list by Global Knowledge (2020). Data from Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) identified 39,035 unique job postings in Indiana requesting cloud computing skills in 2020, and more than 10 percent of those jobs specifically requested AWS skills. Only a select number of Hoosiers currently hold an AWS Certification, creating a significant skills gap for local employers interested in hiring technical talent to fill open roles.

“If you look at how technology played a critical role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic—ensuring our children could continue to learn, allowing businesses to enable staff to work remotely, and keeping us safely connected virtually—skilled technical talent helped make this possible,” said Kim Majerus, Leader, US Education, State and Local Government, AWS. “As the economy recovers and organizations continue to develop life-changing solutions, we are thrilled to collaborate with Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development and Ivy Tech Community College to create agile and equitable reskilling and upskilling programs to unlock opportunities for Hoosiers to build new careers and get back to work.”

As Indiana continues to attract more tech jobs to the state, this collaboration will increase access to education and skills training to secure jobs from organizations across various sectors and industries in roles such as software development, cloud architecture, data science, cyber security, cloud support engineers, and more. Ivy Tech Community College is uniquely positioned to connect individuals to these high-paying cloud computing jobs, serving as the largest, public post-secondary institution in Indiana.

“With the demand for cloud talent, I believe we are launching a program that can get people back to work and onto a path to financial freedom,” said Linda Calvin, Vice President, School of Information Technology, Workforce Alignment, Ivy Tech Community College. “I also believe this is a great opportunity to reach out to engage with women and our communities of color to encourage the pursuit of a great career in tech.”

Indiana high schools are also an important part of this collaborative effort. “The partnership between Ivy Tech Community College and our local high schools and career centers is critical to ensure a strong pipeline of future cloud-ready technical talent in our state,” said Dr. Rebecca Rahschulte, Vice President of K-14 Initiatives, Ivy Tech Community College. “Our secondary career and technical education programs will lay the foundation for students to learn about cloud computing on AWS and other high-tech skills through dual credit and enrollment programming in the high schools to prepare students for advanced training and skill development, to secure in-demand, high-wage jobs.” 

Local employers are equally excited about the potential of building a stronger pipeline of cloud-skilled talent by partnering with Ivy Tech Community College to meet the needs of the local Indiana workforce.

“As cloud adoption accelerates, the talent gap continues to grow. Ivy Tech Community College is leading the charge to equip students and workers to meet the need,” said Chris Seitz, Vice President, CleanSlate Technology Group. “The Ivy Tech vision is thoughtful and the programs are compelling, creating a clear path for employers to identify and retain emerging cloud professionals.”

“Infosys’s mission is to identify and scale the digital capabilities needed by our clients, who include some of the largest and most high-profile companies in the world,” said Richard Cardwell, Vice President of Technology and Innovation, Infosys. “As a result, it is our firm belief at Infosys that the reskilling and training of American workers in these digital technologies must be a priority. The collaborative effort with Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana’s Workforce Development, and AWS is a testament to that vision.”

To learn more about AWS cloud training offerings at local education institutions and how to enroll, please visit www.ivytech.edu/cloud-technologies. To learn more about AWS education programs, a part of AWS Training and Certification, please visit here.