Celebrating women who’ve launched cloud careers with AWS

By Claire Spiller, Sr. Manager, AWS re/Start

March 8th marks the annual International Women’s Day (IWD). IWD aims to “help forge a gender equal world.” One way to do this is by celebrating women’s achievements to increase visibility. And that’s why we’re highlighting some amazing women that have successfully launched cloud careers following completion of free workforce readiness and cloud-skills training from AWS.

Removing barriers to cloud education

At AWS, we’re committed to expanding access to cloud-skills training and education globally. AWS Education Programs are removing barriers to education and forging new paths for individuals to develop cloud expertise, obtain AWS Certifications, and enter the technology workforce.

One such program, AWS re/Start, is a free-to-the-learner, full-time skills development program that helps jump-start careers in cloud computing. AWS re/Start is deliberate about achieving diversity in tech and is supported in this quest by the employers that have hired the candidates, epitomizing the theme of this year’s IWD – ‘Embracing Equity’.

While no technology background is required to participate in AWS re/Start, each learner demonstrates resilience, determination, and a passion for self-improvement.  So let’s jump in to celebrate the accomplishments of some amazing women and learn more about their journeys to tech!

Aleksandra (Aleks) Zaghloul, Operations Engineer at Netcompany, UK

Aleks

Aleks’ background is similar to many AWS re/Start applicants – she was unemployed when she joined the program and had no prior tech experience.

“I am incredibly grateful that people around me saw my potential for a career in tech before I could. Since then, my growth has been fuelled by being assigned technically difficult tasks and being trusted to get on with it, becoming a valued member of the team.”

Aleks excelled on program and was hired by Netcompany just a few days after graduating. AWS re/Start candidates are quick learners, which Aleks epitomizes. Since starting her career in July 2022, she has completed further certifications and continues to develop and learn in her new role. Having launched her own career in the cloud, Aleks is passionate about inspiring the next generation of AWS re/Start learners and encouraging more women to gain access to careers in tech.

Alek’s manager, Dan Robinson, describes his experience of embracing equity in his hiring process: “The gender data gap in tech is well known and is something that we have been working hard at Netcompany to address. We are proud of the number of young women who have decided to start their tech career with us and we continue to create opportunities for women at all levels of our business.”

Dan continues, “we know that people come to tech from different backgrounds. It is important to us that we recognize this in our hiring strategy. Whilst we recruit graduates, we also bring in apprentices and are delighted with the progress of those who have joined us from the AWS re/Start program. Aleks is a great example for those considering a career change into tech. Since she joined us, we have been blown away by her drive, determination, and above all else, her curiosity to learn all aspects of her role in an industry which is always evolving. We find this to be true for all of our AWS re/Start hires and are delighted with their progress so far.”

Adeline Makokha, Software Development Engineer at Safaricom, Kenya

Adeline

After graduating from Machakos University in Kenya, Adeline joined the AWS re/Start program with Azubi Africa. She holds both the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and AWS Certified Solution Architect – Associate certifications. With the knowledge gained, Adeline was offered a position at Safaricom PLC as a software development engineer in test.

Adeline went on to join the AWS Community Builder program, which she describes as a milestone in her career.  Like many AWS re/Start learners, the program is just the start of a tech journey. Adeline demonstrates a continued curiosity to learn and grow in her career. In fact, Adeline has been an organizer of AWS User Group Kenya for 2 years. She remains passionate about organizing meetups to assist uniting local and global communities.

Faith Kuya, Adeline’s technical hiring manager describes her experience working with Adeline, “I have worked with her for one year now and I have seen her grow not just in technical skills but also in leadership. We gave Adeline a challenge of leading her team that consists of quality engineers and she picked it up and has been doing an amazing job. One thing about giving opportunity to a more diverse workforce, is that they apply assorted styles in their work. Adeline, for example, is more intricate when it comes to execution and she also applies empathy in what she does, which makes her a wonderful leader. Other than her normal duties, Adeline has also participated in two hackathons in Safaricom which did well. This Women’s day I want to celebrate her for her contribution not just to Safaricom but generally the technology space in Kenya.”

Helping to level the playing field

There are many reasons why this talented, motivated, ‘hidden workforce’ exists. For some, moving from one country to the next has limitations when it comes to building a career in a more traditional way. This was the case for Nethmi Acharige. Originally from Sri Lanka, Nethmi’s visa restricted her from earning a degree in IT. Instead, she studied Linux, Python, and cloud technologies via AWS re/Start. Since graduating from the program, Nethmi has secured her first role as a DevOps Engineer with data specialists, S&P Market Intelligence.

Varsha Agarwal has a similar story. Originally from India, she had relocated to live with family in Norway. Having earned AWS certification and day-one-ready skills with AWS re/Start, Varsha now works at Xeneta as a DevOps Engineer.

The commitment to diversifying talent requires hiring managers and organizations to re-imagine a hiring process that opens up opportunities from a non-traditional talent pool, particularly when it comes to prior educational achievements. Often, the absence of a university degree is not due to a candidate’s lack of intellectual ability or commitment to learn, but rather a vulnerable background, unaffordability, or administrative hurdles in getting their previous qualifications recognized in their new hosting countries.

AWS re/Start recognizes that many women are not just unemployed, but under-employed – meaning that they have the potential to perform more demanding roles than they currently hold. This was true of Greta Pereviciute and Fasega Demoz. Both worked in retail before re-skilling to launch new cloud careers with AWS re/Start. Each now holds a professional IT role – Greta is in a DevOps role at GCD Technologies Ltd and Fasega is in a technical role at UKTV.

An ongoing commitment to equity

‘Embracing Equity’ in the technical workforce takes determination – not just from the women that want to enter the field, but also from those that are already a part of it. Organizations and hiring managers that fail to recognize alternative talent pools are missing out on an opportunity to fill vacancies quicker, hire resilient, determined individuals, and, ultimately, increase diversity in their teams. After all, building a more diverse team is recognized as a way to improve business performance.

These benefits aren’t limited to individuals and organizations. By giving women greater economic independence, the benefits ripple to their households, communities, and ultimately, home countries. By creating role models and empowering more women to launch cloud careers through programs such as AWS re/Start, we can create a better economic outlook for everyone.

Join us live to hear more inspirational stories

The IWD celebration doesn’t stop here. Please join us for a webinar on Wednesday, 26th April, where we’ll provide more information of how you can get involved. We’ll be joined by companies that have hired from AWS re/Start, including Robert Half, Protiviti, and Capgemini, and successful female AWS re/Start graduates who kick-started their cloud careers after re-skilling into the industry. Register today!

About AWS Education Programs

AWS Education Programs prepare graduates for cloud roles in cities and towns around the world. We designed our curriculum by working backwards from employer requirements, ensuring that graduates are qualified and prepared with in-demand cloud skills.