Maureen Lonergan, VP, AWS Training and Certification explains how it is possible to improve company results by developing employee skills.
2022 has been a tough year, marked by a continuous evolution of technology, innovation and the growth of cloud computing, which shows no signs of slowing down. Indeed, a growing number of companies are recognizing that the cloud can accelerate their operations, competitive agility and ability to innovate. Companies adopting the cloud must understand the correlation with investment in human capital.
Even if the latest operational plans have been designed in the light of economic uncertainty, those who invest in people – especially in this period – will find that the return is worth the investment. A recent Forrester Research study found that companies that train their people in cloud skills achieve a 100% return on investment (ROI) within six months and 234% over three years. Furthermore, companies that have a workforce with advanced digital skills generate innovation (either product or service) that increase annual global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by approximately 6.3 billion dollars, increasing income and worker productivity.
AWS: The IT investments and skills you will need
If the business has already made the move to the cloud, or is considering doing so, it could be impacted by a shortage of talent with advanced cloud skills. There are five million vacancies in the cloud, and cloud roles are some of the hardest to fill. So if you’re looking for cloud talent, the best strategy is to focus on upskilling your current workforce. According to Skillsoft’s IT Skills and Salary Survey 2022, cloud computing is among the top areas of investment, followed by Cybersecurity/Information Security, AI/ML, Infrastructure and Systems, Data Analytics/Data Management and Data Science. It is therefore reasonable to think that the priorities of personnel training follow these trends: security, data analysis, developer tools and DevOps. For this reason it is advisable to take a closer look at the skills of the staff in these areas and ensure that they have a training plan that allows them to achieve the set objectives.
Retain advanced skills talent in the cloud by investing in training and certification opportunities
If training isn’t yet on your operational plan, ask yourself if you can afford to leave it out given the global talent shortage. For example, numerous training resources are available within AWS Skill Builder to help you deliver robust continuing development opportunities. The alternative could be waiting longer than necessary to fill open positions, delays in creating innovative solutions and operational inefficiencies. The goal of a company is to invest in its main resource: people. Providing skills training opportunities can lead to greater employee satisfaction and retention. Also, funding certification exam expenses could be a great way to keep employees from looking for another job.
AWS: Focus on early-career talent to future-proof your business
Bridging the skills gap is not easy, but it could be a way to lighten the workload of your staff. As talent with advanced cloud skills demands ever-increasing salaries, an alternative approach is to recruit early in their careers. These people have basic cloud skills, as well as industry certifications, and are ready to perform technical support, troubleshooting, QA, testing, and recovery tasks.
Assigning new hires these types of tasks helps them master the entire technology stack and prepares them to progress in their careers so that they are soon ready to take on more complex and demanding jobs. ESG found that 90% of companies that have invested in young talent have seen a positive ROI. Early career talent is motivated to learn, upgrades easily, and reaches time to value in approximately half the time of an expert-level hire. Simply put, early-stage talent can help you innovate, grow cloud-generated revenue, and keep talent in your organization.
Both employees and managers appreciate integrated learning solutions
But where should you invest? A great place to start is Virtual Instructor Training (VILT). Prior to 2020, most live training was delivered in person. But, as the world of work has evolved, so has that, with sophisticated approaches enhancing the learning experience in the absence of a physical classroom environment. Students and executives alike agree that the VILT format is highly effective, increases knowledge retention, and is more cost-effective, as it eliminates travel costs. Because of this, VILT will increase its availability and usage over the next 12 to 24 months.
AWS: Certifications continue to add value to the business
Industry certifications help distinguish high-level talent and more and more companies increase their competitiveness by investing in personnel certification. According to ESG, certified personnel place the company in a more competitive position to be successful. If your company plans or is already investing in helping employees become certified – and looks favorably on candidates with industry certifications – you will see increased productivity, innovation potential and employee retention across the board. within your company.
Training of non-tech employees
With the growth of the cloud no longer isolated from the IT department, leaders are increasingly investing in this technology across their entire business – from finance, sales, HR, marketing and even administrative staff. Volkswagen, for example, has invested in enhancing its employees’ cloud knowledge and skills using a cloud-centric framework. The result has been a reduction in time-to-market and improved collaboration between teams.
Stefan Klünker, Global Product Owner di Volkswagen Financial Services
AWS training and certification helped transform us as a company, setting a path where business and IT came together and everyone understood the need to deliver better and faster solutions to our customers.