A new crop of college graduates are set to power Scotland’s tech future thanks to their new cloud computing credentials.
The young people graduated from the City of Glasgow College this week through the AWS re/Start programme – aimed at equipping them and potential employers with the latest workforce tech skills.
The course was delivered in partnership with Primed Talent, a specialist organisation that works with employers to develop and place job-ready candidates into high-demand roles.
The collaboration provides innovative, industry-aligned education that meets the demands of Scotland’s fast-evolving tech sector, supporting the development of digital skills in Glasgow and across Scotland. The programme creates real pathways into high-value technology careers, helping to address the growing demand for skilled cloud professionals.
Graduates were joined by employers from Arnold Clark, Aspin, GTG Training and Leidos alongside industry experts and special guests, including Minister for Public Finance, Ivan McKee, who delivered the keynote address.
He said: “With 15,600 job openings for tech professionals every year in Scotland, a skilled digital workforce is a key deliverable of the Scottish Government’s Public Service Reform Strategy. Helping people to reskill and acquire digital skills will help Scotland to transition to a digital economy.
“Programmes like AWS re/Start are vital to create new pipelines of talent across the Glasgow city region. I congratulate the learners on their achievements and look forward to hearing about their new careers in cloud.”
Roy Gardner, depute principal & chief operating officer at the college, also addressed the graduates, celebrating their determination and the college’s role in bridging Scotland’s digital skills gap.
He said: “City of Glasgow College is proud to work with industry leaders like AWS to deliver programmes that not only equip learners with sought-after skills but also connect them directly with employers. This is about rapid upskilling and reskilling – providing people from all backgrounds with the opportunity to transform their careers, access high-value jobs, and help build Scotland’s future workforce.”
John Davies, managing director UK, Germany & international organisations worldwide public sector, Amazon Web Services, said: “We are delighted to have delivered the AWS re/Start programme in Glasgow and support a new cohort of learners to kickstart a career in the cloud. By addressing the growing need for digitally skilled talent, we are preparing the workforce of the future and enabling organisations across Scotland – and beyond – to digitally transform and to take full advantage of the cloud.”
The AWS re/Start cloud computing course is designed to prepare learners for entry-level careers in the tech industry, with a curriculum covering Linux, Python, networking, security, and AWS core services. Graduates leave with both technical knowledge and essential employability skills, making them highly attractive to technology employers in Scotland and beyond.