Atos Company Cloudreach Partners with AWS to Launch Talent Academy in U.S.

Cloudreach, a multi-cloud services provider and an Atos business since January this year, has announced the opening of their Cloudreach Talent Academy in Atlanta. The immersive program of expedited, hands-on learning, which was first established in London in 2021 in conjunction with Amazon Web Services (AWS), aims to assist diverse applicants begin their technical career in cloud computing.

In the IT industry, diversity has long been an issue, stated Cloudreach, with just 5.5 percent Black candidates and 6.6 percent Latinx candidates getting employed by large corporations. Cloudreach is working to close this gap by luring talent in key tech clusters around the country, beginning with Atlanta, which, according to Metro Atlanta CEO, has the tenth most tech employment per capita

Applicants with a wide range of technical and non-tech expertise are urged to apply for the two-year courses, which are open to anybody interested in a career in the rapidly developing cloud sector.

“I had heard about opportunities in cloud technology but realized there weren’t a lot of young Black women in the industry,” said Esther Awolesi, Associate Cloud Systems Developer at Cloudreach. “When I was self-learning, I emailed over 30 companies but received no responses. Cloudreach has given me an opportunity to learn on the job. The things they’ve taught me, I would not have found anywhere else.”

Education, Certification, Mentorship

Photo Esther Awolesi, Associate Cloud Systems Developer at Cloudreach
“I had heard about opportunities in cloud technology but realized there weren’t a lot of young Black women in the industry,” said Esther Awolesi, Associate Cloud Systems Developer at Cloudreach.

In late 2021, the first Talent Academy cohort was welcomed into the Cloudreach community, with several alumni currently working as Associate Cloud Systems Developers. Many of the participants in the original training program lacked formal education and had a wide range of employment experience, including marketing, social services, and other fields. Those with tech experience weren’t always working in cloud technologies. They were able to get new talents and resume-worthy experience as a result of the program.

“We’re excited to be kicking off in Atlanta, a region full of untapped talent in technology,” said Poonam Flammarion, Head of the Cloudreach Talent Academy. “We are utilizing decades of cloud computing experience to bring world class education, certification, and mentorship to underrepresented communities and passionate professionals.”

“Organizations need individuals with cloud skills to help transform their business, and there is a growing demand for IT professionals with AWS Cloud skills,” said Maureen Lonergan, Vice President, AWS Training and Certification. “AWS Training and Certification, along with our AWS Training Partners like Cloudreach, aims to equip the builders of today and tomorrow with the knowledge they need to leverage the power of the AWS Cloud. AWS Training, designed by the experts at AWS, teaches in-demand cloud skills and best practices, and helps learners prepare for AWS Certification exams so they can advance their careers and transform their organizations.”

Cloudreach and AWS hope to diversify the information technology business by broadening the talent pool through this Talent Academy. Individuals with legacy technology skills who want to move to the cloud, those returning to work after a break, technology enthusiasts who aren’t already in an IT profession, and engineering grads seeking for a promotion are all candidates.

This talent program would also help improve Atos OneCloud, an initiative that brings together and constantly upskills thousands of cloud specialists to assist enterprises traverse their cloud journey securely and quickly.