Many businesses across the U.S. have already or will soon transition to a cloud platform such as Amazon Web Services. We’ve designed our AWS Cloud Apprenticeship to provide the expert talent businesses need to achieve seamless cloud integration and maintenance. We sat down with our VP of Technology, Delante Lee Bess and our AWS Program Manager, LaRhonda Darby, to get their expertise on what cloud computing and apprenticeship can offer businesses.
Matt: Hi LaRhonda and Delante! Thank you for joining us in this conversation about the AWS Apprenticeship at NEW. Can you start by introducing yourselves?
LaRhonda: Hello, my name is LaRhonda Darby. I am the program Manager for the AWS cohort here at NEW Apprenticeship. I’ve done my Master’s in Cybersecurity from the University of Dallas and I’ve been in the IT field now for about 2 years.
Delante: Hi everyone, my name is Delante Lee Bess, I’m the VP of Technology and Digital Transformation here at NEW Apprenticeship. I’m also an entrepreneur myself on my own consulting firm and that’s been pretty successful at this rate because there’s just an incredible amount of work and talent out there to deal with both digital transformation, web development, AI, service-oriented type of work like ServiceNow.
Matt: Perfect. So, my first question is: ‘Why should I even consider an AWS apprentice versus trying to find one elsewhere; maybe someone who has a Bachelor’s degree or who has some or any experience?’
LaRhonda: AWS (Amazon Web Services) is a comprehensive, evolving cloud computing platform provided by Amazon that includes a mixture of infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and packaged software as a service (SaaS).I know you’ve heard “the wave of the future” and it essentially is. You’re getting into cloud computing, you’re learning coding, you’re learning languages that are transferable skills; not just AWS, but IT as a whole. So, a lot of businesses have migrated to a cloud based model which has created a significant demand for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. So, it is a good choice to build your future; you can build a career.
Matt: LaRhonda, what’s your perspective on this: ‘‘Why I should hire, not someone from AWS because I already know I have a need for AWS talent, but why should I hire a AWS apprentice from you versus hiring them from Indeed or a 4-year university or somewhere else?’
LaRhonda: Our curriculum. We are AWS-certified, so our curriculum is also certified through Amazon. We take care of the whole learner. They have soft skills that they learn, they have coaching, they have job readiness, and LinkedIn. We utilize more than just regular standard book things to teach our learners. We’re here to make better careers. At NEW Apprenticeship we make sure our learners have the entire package; and once you get someone from us, it’s someone moldable. Someone great. Someone that can come into your company and make it better because that’s our goal.
We utilize more than just regular standard book things to teach our learners. We’re here to make better careers. At NEW Apprenticeship we make sure our learners have the entire package; and once you get someone from us, it’s someone moldable.
Matt: Awesome. Delante, can I ask you the same question?
Delante: Sure! Most companies are going into the cloud. I mean, if you’re not in the cloud, you’re becoming obsolete at this point. Very few companies are having infrastructure on premise. In our case, we are developing that kind of talent who can understand cloud management. At this point, what distinguishes us from most other institutions or bootcamps that are out there is that we’re developing people right from the ground up and they can be assimilated into your company culture intellectually and also emotionally. It’s 12 months long [the apprenticeship program], which enables that learner the ability to really become a functional employee of your company.
In our case, we are developing that kind of talent who can understand cloud management. At this point, what distinguishes us from most other institutions or bootcamps that are out there is that we’re developing people right from the ground up and they can be assimilated into your company culture intellectually and also emotionally.
Matt: Awesome, thank you both. Compare the talent [NEW apprentices] with other early-career employees that you’ve worked with. I think that would be cool hearing it from one professional to another professional.
Delante: Sure, one thing that I’m noticing with our apprentices that we are interviewing is this level of soft skills along with the technical skills that are being developed throughout the course of the bootcamp and then of course the apprenticeship. The coaching is absolutely phenomenal and the mentorship that each and every one of these individuals get. That’s absolutely essential for every learner, especially for a young person coming out of community college or high school; to have that at their fingertips is essential for their own character development, let alone their career development. The companies that I’m interviewing with, they’re looking for people who have those soft skills along with the technology skills. So, they want those people who can be leaders. Who can be voices and leaders in their company.
Matt: Perfect, thank you. LaRhonda I have the same question here.
LaRhonda: We’re what an apprenticeship does. It is not just soft skills, it is the learning how to be a leader, it is the fact that our learners are coached. Not just an IT person; not just someone who knows the books. You’re getting someone who is coachable because if you can’t find the answer, I want to make sure that my learners are coachable to say, ‘Hey, I don’t have the answer, but I can find it!’ We here at New Apprenticeship are invested into giving the learners the tools to become a well rounded professional.
Matt: Love it! Thank you guys so much; really appreciate this!
If you are looking to hire AWS cloud talent, contact us here.