Cloud technology has advanced to the forefront as millions of people around the world are using computing technology to work remotely due to the outbreak of Covid-19. In the future, it will enable seamless pathways from classrooms to careers at all education levels. Seven higher-level educational institutions recently chose AWS as their choice of platform for this far-reaching approach to enhance students with cloud skills. 

With this, the institutions are aiming for a cloud curriculum from AWS Educate, which gives a practical learning experience for students much needed for today’s job market. Under the AWS Educate global initiative, the cloud giant has provided students and educators with the resources required to speed up cloud-related learning by designing college degree programs with cloud computing curriculum. 

The goal of the initiative is also to bring cloud computing to mainstream college syllabus and produce the next generation of cloud specialists in India. The cloud computing curriculum is going to be included as an undergraduate degree and postgraduate diploma programs commencing in September 2020. 

Take Manav Rachna University for example. By working with AWS Educate, the university’s spokesperson says it will provide students with updated knowledge and the skills, as well as enhance their professional development and access to AWS Cloud services. Apart from specialized courses in cloud computing, Manav Rachna University’s core computer science courses also cover cloud concepts in database management, networking, and operating systems, that helps students in preparing for practical cloud computing-based roles.

Which Colleges Are Part Of The Program?

The higher education institutions offering the newly-designed Bachelor of Technology degree programs in Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science are: 

• Six education institutions offering engineering degrees: Manav Rachna University, Sharda University, Chitkara University, Galgotias University, Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology, and SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu. 
  
• One higher education institution offering a postgraduate diploma in Management: ASM Group of Institutes in Maharashtra will offer syllabus combined with the AWS Educate cloud curricula for its Post Graduate Diploma in Management – Emerging Technology.

 “This enhanced cloud curriculum will interest prospective students as it includes both theoretical as well as practical hands-on experience of the latest cloud technologies driving innovation in areas such as machine learning services, internet-of-things, and cybersecurity. The collaboration with AWS, the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, is not just a significant milestone for Galgotias University, but also for the students as it provides them globally-relevant skills and recognition,” says Dhruv Galgotia, CEO of Galgotias University. 

Cloud computing has been the topmost workforce skill demanded by companies, as reported by a LinkedIn study done yearly over the past five years. This new initiative will integrate cloud computing curricula in mainstream college education and help approach the increasing demand for cloud skills in India by equipping students with the relevant education and skill-based credentials related to the cloud including cloud architecture, software development, cybersecurity data analytics and machine learning. 

Dr Madhu Chitkara, Pro-Chancellor, Chitkara University, Punjab says the cloud curriculum from AWS Educate focuses on the fundamentals of cloud computing, modelling, analysis, design and deployment, which are relevant to industry-centric application development. It also includes industry standards for applications in the cloud and essential practices on cloud security.

“Cloud computing is shifting the paradigms of the IT industry and in the future. Businesses need to focus on core competencies instead of managing the complexity of data centres. More businesses are adopting cloud computing for the day-to-day management of their IT infrastructure. To fulfil the skills needed for the future, we have to start today,” said Dr Madhu.

AWS Educate Goal Is To Partake Next-Gen Of IT Professionals

All students partaking in the degree and diploma programs will be enrolled in AWS Educate, which is Amazon’s initiative to equip students and teachers with resources for honing skills in cloud technology. Educate lays emphasis on real-world, practical learning activities so that it can generate IT and cloud professionals with the right capabilities to handle the growing technological complexities. 

Also, AWS Educate grants access to the AWS Educate Job Board, a speciality that enables students to explore and apply for thousands of cloud jobs and internship openings from Amazon and other businesses around the globe. AWS Educate is used in more than 200 countries and territories, connecting more than 3,500 institutions, over 10,000 teachers, and hundreds of thousands of learners. 

“Cloud technology has come to the forefront as millions of people around the world are using computing technology to work remotely due to the outbreak of Covid-19. In the future, it will enable seamless pathways from classrooms to careers at all education levels. AWS is a natural choice for this far-reaching and transformative approach to enrich students with cloud skills. The cloud curriculum from AWS Educate provides an outstanding learning experience for students, and promotes research and development,” said Dr Sandeep Sancheti, Vice-Chancellor, SRM Institute of Science & Technology.

According to Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida, the college has identified cloud computing as one of our core focus areas for the future and is optimistic about associated with AWS in India to impart cloud computing learning to its engineering students. 

“Cloud computing is omnipresent in today’s work environment. Organisations using cloud computing can easily access their resources across multiple platforms, and create a strong foundation for collaborative working. The curriculum has the potential to open a new horizon of employment possibilities for our students,” Raman Batra, Executive Vice President of the institute says.

AWS Educate educations programs are being organised in close collaboration with the government and government-associated organisations like NASSCOM and ICT Academy are collaborating to support AWS in this initiative. NASSCOM will enable larger industry participation by engaging major employers in IT and ITES segments in India and facilitate a talent pipeline honed with cloud skills. ICT Academy, a not-for-profit organisation that operates within the Government of India and collaborates with state governments and enterprises to train higher education teachers and industry-ready students, will also support the educational institutions with faculty development and curriculum arrangement.