AWS Educate announces university challenge in UK and Ireland

University students in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland can now register for the AWS Educate University Challenge for a chance to win prizes for their university while building skills in the cloud. In the inter-university competition, students from the UK and Ireland earn points for their university by completing AWS Educate Cloud Career Pathways and Specialty Badges.

With the increasing demand for cloud-skilled employees, AWS Educate provides an academic gateway for the next generation of IT and cloud professionals. AWS Educate is Amazon’s global initiative to provide students and educators with the resources needed to accelerate cloud-related learning and help power the entrepreneurs, workforce, and researchers of tomorrow.

After signing up for a no-cost AWS Educate account, students can enroll in Cloud Career Pathways to learn essential skills in cloud computing. Each pathway, aligned to in-demand job roles such as machine learning scientist and application developer, includes 25-50 hours of self-paced content. Similarly, students can unlock an AWS Educate Badge in one of the industry’s fastest growing interest areas, including gaming, Internet of Things (IoT), and Amazon Alexa. Each specialized badge features bite-size learning opportunities to expand your cloud skillset in 10+ hours. Students receive a digital credential in their AWS Educate portfolio after completing pathways and badges.

Students who sign up for the challenge and complete Cloud Career Pathways and Badges will earn points for their university. Badge completions earn three points, entry pathways earn five points, intermediate pathways earn seven points, and advanced pathways earn 10 points. The top 30 students with the most number of points in UK and Ireland will win Amazon vouchers, an Alexa device, and an invitation to meet with Amazon student recruiters in London and Dublin and receive training on how to stand out as a job applicant. Each of the top 10 universities in the UK and Ireland with the highest number of points accumulated by their students during the challenge will win a trophy.

To learn more, visit the AWS Educate University Challenge website.