Discusses workforce development initiatives in Mississippi
Would you tell our readers about AWS’s approach to workforce development?
Just like in every location we operate in across the U.S., AWS is dedicated to collaborating with institutions across the state to grow the skilled technical workforce in Mississippi. Our aim is to grow capacity in the existing workforce development and education system to expand pathways into careers related to the infrastructure of our information economy.
Why is AWS so focused on ensuring workforce development and being tied to your broader data center investments in Mississippi?
For us, developing the local workforce is both good for business and a responsibility to our neighbors in the community. We need a highly skilled technical workforce for the construction, operation, and maintenance of our data centers, and their enabling power and fiber infrastructure. By investing in, and collaborating with, local school districts, community colleges, universities, and training providers, we can increase access to family-sustaining careers and grow the Mississippi economy.
How else will AWS support workforce development in Mississippi?
It’s important to remember that our efforts to get Mississippians new skills and abilities will serve them well not just for careers at AWS, but also for careers with our extensive network of customers, contractors, and vendors. When we collaborate with schools to grow or develop programs, we always connect the educators and learners to subject matter experts in a vast network of employers—and those employers could be a local business with needs in IT, contractors seeking skilled talent on construction projects, local utilities working to modernize the power and fiber-optic infrastructure, and more. Workforce development is a collaborative team effort, and we work every day to support programs that connect the needs of employers to the amazing professionals working to connect Mississippians with those opportunities.
AWS has already introduced quite a few workforce development programs in Mississippi. How are those new programs coming along?
Since our initial announcement of plans to invest $10 billion in Mississippi in January 2024, we’ve collaborated with AccelerateMS, Mississippi Development Authority, and the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District (CMPDD) to bring more than a dozen new programs to the state. In all, more than 1,000 local education and workforce leaders and 6,500 learners and jobseekers have already participated in these programs. All these programs include authentic hands-on learning experiences for teachers and students.
Would you share more about these programs?
Last May, we brought our Fiber Optic Fusion Splicing workshops to Holmes Community College and Hinds Community College. In these free programs, learners had the opportunity to learn about fiber optic technology, cabling, and network infrastructure from experts at AWS, engineers at Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, and industry professionals. The trainings concluded with an employer networking fair, where learners had the opportunity to begin career discussions with local and national fiber employers.
With support from AccelerateMS, we were able to support implementation of best-in-class STEAM programs called We Build it Better to elementary and middle school students in Madison Public Schools, Canton School District, and Jackson Public Schools—including training for 48 teachers and access to these classroom materials for more than 6,000 students.
At the end of 2024, we brought our Information Infrastructure Workshop (I2PA) to Holmes Community College. This program is a 120-hour pre-apprenticeship designed for job seekers with little prior experience to launch their skilled trade careers through instruction from local contractors. Completers earned industry-recognized credentials and finished the experience with a job fair with hiring managers from AWS and local contractors.
Any updates from Mississippians that have completed these programs: Are they getting jobs? Where?
Yes—we’ve already hired program completers—and we’re looking for more! In addition, we’ve seen hiring from two fiber contractors, one mechanical contractor, and one data center maintenance provider—and we’ve only just begun.
What workforce development programs are coming to Mississippi soon, and how can Mississippians get engaged?
There will be brand-new fiber optic technician programs at both Holmes Community College and Hinds Community College—watch the websites of both colleges for details. These will be 120-hour courses that will begin to prepare learners for jobs in the fiber optics and telecoms industries.
We’re also very excited to support more pre-apprenticeship (I2PA) programs for adults in the community and new opportunities for high school students. New courses will be posted at I2PA.info when they’re ready.
We’re really excited to collaborate with AccelerateMS, CMPDD, MDA, and others on new training facilities that will provide access to state-of-the-art technology for authentic, hands-on learning experiences.
Also coming soon: we look forward to supporting programs that align to the Governor’s recent AI executive order, including collaboration with the new Mississippi AI innovation hub, the Mississippi AI Network, and upcoming community-based support for Mississippians to better participate in our new AI-driven information economy.
What are you most excited about in terms of AWS WFD programs in Mississippi?
Everywhere we go, we sing the praises of the leadership in Mississippi. We’ve been so impressed by the collaboration across stakeholders, including everyone at the state, regional, and local level working together for the communities they love. Together, we’re creating more opportunities for students in schools and adults looking for exciting jobs in tech that pay a strong family-sustaining income. This work will have long-lasting impact in Mississippi that will create economic growth for everyone—and those are the things that are most exciting to me—the power of education and careers to help people change their stars and achieve a career that results in a better quality of life.