Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced a new cloud computing specialisation degree created in collaboration with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).

The program will be one of the first cloud computing degrees in the US offered by a community college and will be part of its Information Systems Technology (IST) Associate of Applied Science degree starting towards the end of 2018.

AWS said the two-year degree program is built to address the high concentration of tech employers in the Northern Virginia region and the demand for employees with cloud computing skills.

“A key part of the new Virginia economy is building up our talent pipeline to match our education system, and aligning our training programs around the skills needed, such as cloud computing, for 21st-century jobs,” said Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia.

“Community colleges like NOVA are important engines for workforce development, and this collaboration with Amazon Web Services marks an exciting first step in a broader plan to bring cloud computing education to students across the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

The 63-credit associate degree program is mapped to skills and competency-based credentials required by AWS and other employers who leverage cloud-based services. All students will receive membership in the AWS Educate program and gain hands-on experience with leading cloud technology and tools.

This degree program is the first step in a much broader plan by AWS to bring cloud computing education to students throughout the state of Virginia and potentially to other educational institutes around the world.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with NOVA on this degree program, as they break new ground to open up opportunities to careers in cloud computing for students in the state of Virginia and around the globe,” said Teresa Carlson, vice president of worldwide public sector at AWS.

“We believe that this degree offering, and our collaboration with community and vocational programs around the world, can fundamentally alter the role that these institutions play in helping to build and diversify the pipeline of new, exceptional talent in the tech community.”

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