Training scheme to plug UK’s digital skills gap

Amazon is to help plug the UK’s digital skills gap by launching a training scheme for young people and ex-military personnel.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) will partner with the Prince’s Trust and the Ministry of Defence to launch AWS re:Start, which aims to help 1,000 additional people to learn digital skills.

Skills

Parliament’s science and technology committee found that more than 12 million adults in the UK do not have basic digital skills, so the new scheme will provide free training and work placements.

Amazon opened its first UK-based AWS data centres in late 2016 and will also be teaming up with the Microbit Foundation to offer training. 

Amazon is not the only tech company promising to help plug the UK’s digital skills gap. Google has also recently announced that it will be offering free digital skills training to everyone in the UK as part of its investment plans.

Priority

Secretary of State Karen Bradley said: “Increasing digital skills in the UK is a major priority for the government and we are working to make sure that everyone has the skills they need.”

She added that AWS re:Start was a great initiative that brings together employers from various sectors and provides the foundation on which they can continue to train and grow the digital workforce in the UK.