HAMLET — Nineteen students graduated from the AWS Information Infrastructure Pre-Apprenticeship program, a paid four-week training initiative designed to prepare participants for careers supporting the information economy.
The program provides hands-on instruction in electrical, mechanical, fiber-optic and data center operations, along with workplace skills taught by industry experts.
Graduates included Robert Colf, Jauron Collins, Saengphet Douangkham, Daesha Everette, Juan Fernandez, Tyrik Fonville, Brent Franklin, Caleb Hart, Joaquain Jackson, Francisco Lopez, Cale Luckey, Pamela McRae, Cale Nettles, Jarae Nicholson, Gary Norton, Cannihja Simon, Marc Terry, Michelle Terry and Tony Terry.
Mariana Holliday, principal of economic development with Amazon, served as the keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony.
“They’ve been diligent throughout the entire process and really open to learn,” Holliday said.
Instructor Greg Norton also praised the graduates and their teamwork throughout the program.
“They collaborated together. They were willing to work together. They were divided into four teams, and they all worked in their team together. They helped each other. They allowed help when they needed it,” said Instructor Greg Norton. “I’m very, very proud of what they’ve accomplished and I’m looking forward to seeing where they go in the future.”
Holliday said the program emphasizes hands-on learning and direct interaction with employers, noting that recruiters often serve as instructors throughout the four week course.
“It’s over 75% hands on, so this is not like learning in a classroom; this is like boots on the ground,” said Holliday. “A lot of the employers that are here today have already met these people because they teach some of the classes. We embed employer interactions throughout the entire time so they can get to know the learners, but also the learners can get to know the employers.”
She said the program differs from traditional education pathways by allowing participants to explore multiple career fields.
“Because it is really the sampling of all the different types of careers in data centers, it allows them to explore, versus dive deep into something they might not be interested in,” said Holliday. “They get a week of electrical, a week of mechanical, a week of data center operations, a week of soft skills training— it opens a whole new world to them.”
Holliday also said there are plans to expand the program through partnerships with local colleges.
“We want to partner with community colleges because we recognize that the way you build talent in a region is for Amazon to come in and build all the talent and then leave. It’s for Amazon to build capacity in the local institutions who already do this work, to run these programs,” said Holliday. “We’ve got this cohort up and running because we need people on the ground now and we wanted to generate interest, but now it’s about building capacity in Richmond Community College and neighboring colleges to continue to run these programs in conjunction with us and eventually without us.”
Following the ceremony, graduates met with recruiters from Amazon Web Services, Slifco Electric, Gaylor Electric, Walbridge, Mega Force and NC Works.