Alpha Omega Upskills in AWS to Meet Public Sector Needs

Established in 2014, Alpha Omega has quickly gained recognition as a top supplier of Agile DevSecOps, cloud engineering, and cybersecurity solutions for the public sector. Its steady 50 percent year-over-year growth has led to its inclusion in the Inc. 5000 list for 6 consecutive years as of 2023.

Alpha Omega acknowledged the growing demand for AWS expertise because 60 percent of its business relies on AWS services. With more public sector clients seeking cloud-based solutions, Alpha Omega identified a critical skills gap that needed to be addressed to attract new talent with security clearance and achieve more AWS Certification(s) to meet contract requirements.

Additionally, to maintain its impressive growth and employee retention, the company recognized the importance of being an employer of choice that offers continuous professional development opportunities to existing and new employees.

To overcome these challenges and meet customer requirements for AWS Certified staff, Alpha Omega partnered with AWS Partner Training and Certification in 2020. By combining practical AWS training programs with the company’s innovative Talent Factory framework, Alpha Omega got the comprehensive training and mentorship it needed to develop individuals and address rapidly evolving skill needs.

“Getting guidance and new learning paths from AWS Partner Training and Certification was beneficial for us,” says Nitin Vartak, vice president of solutions at Alpha Omega. “We used the training credits that we received for being an AWS Partner and the programs available to build our training program to where it is today.”

Alpha Omega used two major solutions from AWS Partner Training and Certification. The first was self-paced AWS training designed for employees looking to upgrade their AWS skill sets using the AWS Accelerator program. This provided opportunities to enroll Alpha Omega employees in complimentary bootcamps and achieve more AWS Certification(s). The second was a subscription to AWS Skill Builder Team subscription, an on-demand digital training that includes over 600 courses, access to AWS Certification Official Practice Exams, AWS Jams, compehensive reporting, and administrative tools. “AWS Skill Builder plays a vital role in employees achieving AWS Certification within specific time frames, making sure we meet our contract deadlines. AWS Skill Builder will grow in importance for us because of the way it pushes people to gain AWS Certification,” says Vartak. “It fits into our program nicely and will grow along with us.”

To further incentivize AWS Certification, Alpha Omega introduced the “Amazing Race to Certify,” a program that offered raffle prizes to motivate employees to actively participate in the certification process. Additionally, the company provides up to 40 hours of dedicated study time away from regular duties, encouraging employees to embrace continuous learning and personal growth.

Alpha Omega follows personalized training paths guiding employees through study materials and practice exams over several weeks, preparing them for certification exams. “AWS Partner Training and Certification training paths really work for us,” says Vartak. “People especially appreciate the preparation courses and practice exams. The AWS Accelerator program provided many opportunities to enroll our employees in complimentary bootcamps and get them certified. These programs have resulted in increased certification attempts among the self-pace learners. Over the span of 2 years, the team has achieved a 250 percent increase in certifications.”