Data centre training courtesy of The Institute of Technology Tallaght and AWS

The Institute of Technology Tallaght (IT Tallaght) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have introduced a new Data Centre Technician Training Programme to help local talent fulfill their ambitions of building a career in technology. AWS will fund a bursary programme for 20 students, starting in September 2018, to develop skills in the latest cloud technologies and become equipped with the necessary knowledge to install, configure, maintain, secure, and repair a data centre’s hardware and networking systems. AWS experts are collaborating with IT Tallaght to advise and support the development of course material. In addition to helping to deliver practical training for the students such as providing industry experts for specialist lecture and lab sessions. During the programme students will have the opportunity to apply for paid internships at AWS’ data centres in Ireland.  The academic credits earned on the programme also form part of IT Tallaght’s B. Sc. IT Management which allows for the students to progress to full professional level qualification through the Institute’s full-time or  lifelong-learning programmes.

 

Data Centre infrastructure continues to grow in Ireland and with each new facility comes the need for trained and highly skilled employees to make sure the technology is installed properly and running smoothly. Realizing the opportunity for local workforce development and to bring more high paid jobs to the community, IT Tallaght worked with AWS to design this new program to prepare students for jobs as data centre technicians. The curriculum positions students with the foundational IT skills needed for lucrative careers as data centre technicians, in less than a year. Additionally, students will be able to diagnose and resolve system problems, analyse network traffic, and gain familiarity with common protocols for data centre management.

 

As part of the Programme at IT Tallaght, students will have the opportunity to apply for a paid internship with AWS. This will complement the coursework, giving students the ability to work at a local AWS data centre in Ireland, apply their newly learned skills, and gain additional work experience that will make them highly desirable candidates in the industry.

 

“The future of Ireland, and South Dublin region, relies heavily on our continued production of high-quality graduates capable of undertaking life-long learning in a knowledge-based society, and the new Data Center Technical Training Programme is a great example of this,” said Thomas Stone, President at IT Tallaght. “Working with a global cloud leader, such as AWS, will give students in the Tallaght community, and across Dublin, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain 21^st century knowledge and the skills needed to secure in-demand jobs, and build a career path for the future. We couldn’t be more excited to have the leadership and expertise of AWS to help us create this programme, the first Amazon cloud computing programme of its kind in Ireland.”

 

“This partnership between IT Tallaght and Amazon Web Services is reflective of the kind of strong employer supported training that we are developing as part of the Government’s Action Plan for Education, which sets out our ambition to make Ireland’s education and training service the best in Europe by 2026. Data centres are a key driver of the digital economy and with more and more data moving to the cloud, they are increasing in their prevalence and importance. The ability to support data centre development is key to the promotion of Ireland as a destination for wider investment by international technology firms,” said Richard Bruton Minister or Education and Skills. “This new training programme is an endorsement of our country’s fantastic talent and I’m delighted with the investment Amazon Web Services is making not just in the infrastructure but in the local communities.”

 

“AWS is proud to be a part of the local community in Ireland, and we are excited to support the development of the talented workforce in Tallaght and surrounding communities through this new Data Centre Technician Programme,” said Mike Beary, Director of Human Resources, AWS Ireland. “This unique collaboration with a great educational institution right in our own backyard provides an opportunity for individuals to jump-start a new career and build a future in technology. This new project is just one of the many ways AWS is deepening our investment in the Irish economy through our local corporate offices, cloud infrastructure, and the continued support of local businesses innovating on AWS. IT Tallaght was the first College in Ireland to become an accredited AWS Academy, and we can’t wait to see what students will accomplish through this new collaboration with an institution that stands to support the advancement of economic development of its local area.”