In a rapidly evolving job market shaped by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 highlights that a significant 60 percent of workers will require retraining by 2027 to navigate the landscape of intelligent machines and cognitive computing. To address the widening skills gap, the education sector must adapt and innovate. That’s why Amazon Web Services (AWS) has expanded its strategic collaboration with the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education (DoE), prioritizing both educator and student upskilling.
Upskilling Educators for the Classroom
One of the key focuses of this partnership is equipping educators with the knowledge and skills to effectively integrate technology into the classroom. According to UNESCO, over 90 percent of teachers have never received specialized training on how to use generative AI in schools. AWS aims to rectify this by providing resources and training programs designed to transform how technology is taught and applied across NSW.
In April 2024, the AWS Skills to Jobs team and the NSW DoE jointly hosted an industry training day for over 70 vocational education and training (VET) educators. The goal was to ensure teachers from government, independent, and Catholic schools had the industry expertise to bring technology skills learning materials back to the classroom. Integrated into the training day, a panel discussion from the NSW Digital Skills and Workforce Compact highlighted diverse career pathways and opportunities within the booming technology sector. This Compact, a partnership between the NSW Government, digital industry, and education and training partners, works collaboratively to address digital workforce shortages. Hands-on activities and curriculum-aligned content ensured the training was highly relevant and engaging for participants, with 89 percent of attendees recommending the training to fellow educators.
Expanding Work Placement Opportunities
The collaboration extends beyond teacher training and also benefits the next generation of learners. Aligned with the NSW Public Education 2023 action plan, AWS directly supports students through quality career-related learning experiences, including the innovative VET Virtual Work Placement Program. During the 35-hour virtual placement, nearly 550 VET students from 164 NSW schools gained hands-on experience with cloud computing, earned industry credentials, and explored future career opportunities. Students utilized the AWS Educate learning platform, attended seminars on subjects such as cybersecurity, generative AI, and data analytics, and collectively received over 50 hours of small group mentoring from AWS employees.
Democratizing Access to Tech Careers
This virtual placement model has been instrumental in democratizing access to technology career experiences, particularly for students in rural and remote areas who often face barriers to entry. Liam Jones, a year 12 student at Wilcannia Central School, shared his experience, saying, “As a remote student, accessing traditional in-person work placements in technology fields was virtually impossible for me. The AWS virtual program opened my eyes to the opportunities in cloud computing and data roles that I could pursue after graduating.” Nine out of 10 student participants reported they would highly recommend the virtual placement. Many expressed feeling empowered and eager to explore future paths in cloud computing and other tech fields.
Louise Stigwood, AWS director of enterprise for Australia and New Zealand, stated, “We’ve seen the powerful impact this virtual work placement has in building career awareness and aspirations among students. AWS is committed to fostering the skills and empowering the next generation of cloud talent through programs like this.”
A Model for the Future of Workforce Development
This year marks the fourth consecutive year that AWS has offered the VET Virtual Work Placement program in NSW. Each year, the model evolves and improves based on participant feedback. The program serves as an innovative example of how public-private sector partnerships can address the digital skills gap. By leveraging AWS expertise and scale, the DoE can provide cutting-edge, work-integrated learning opportunities that are difficult to facilitate independently.
Georgina Harrisson, Secretary of the NSW DoE, emphasized, “Our collaboration with AWS allows us to prepare both our teachers and students for the cloud-enabled workforce of the future. We’re proud to lead the way in rethinking workforce development models for the digital age.”
The Next Iteration: AI Takes Center Stage
Building on the success of the current programs, the 2025 edition of the VET Virtual Work Placement will place an even greater emphasis on AI and generative AI skills and applications. To provide a more comprehensive perspective on AI’s real-world impacts across industries, AWS plans to involve AWS Partners. “A recent AWS study found that 90 percent of employers envision becoming an AI-driven organisation by 2028,” Stigwood noted. “Initiatives like our virtual work placement are critical for building the next generation’s capabilities in AI and adjacent disciplines like data, cloud, and cybersecurity.”
The ongoing collaboration between AWS and the NSW DoE demonstrates the proactive nature of this approach, showcasing how the education sector can effectively address digital skills gaps through innovative public-private partnerships. This collaborative model equips educators and students with skills focused on the future, ensuring NSW is at the forefront of developing a workforce prepared for the transformative impact of AI.
Interested parties can contact the AWS Skills to Jobs team at anz-stj@amazon.com to explore involvement in the 2025 program.
