AWS and Exabytes launch US$1.1 million cloud skills initiative

The initiative, which is part of Exabytes’ Centre of Cloud Excellence (CCoE), will see Malaysians enhance their cloud and AI skills to meet the country’s digital workforce demand.

AWS has partnered with Exabytes to equip hundreds of Malaysians, particularly those from lower and middle-income households with cloud computing and AI skills to meet the country's fast-growing digital workforce demand. The US$1.1 million (RM4.3million) initiative will be carried out by delivery partner Forward College.

As a leading provider of AI and other digital solutions in Southeast Asia, Exabytes Group serves over 160,000 customers across 121 countries. The two-year initiative builds on Exabytes’ Centre of Cloud Excellence (CCoE) and aims to bridge Malaysia’s digital talent gap through a fully sponsored Diploma in Applied Software Engineering (NitroDegree) and AWS re/Start, a cohort based workforce development training program.

With the goal of closing the skills gap in Malaysia, both pathways are designed to prepare participants for employment opportunities in cloud computing, DevSecOps, and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning engineering.

Under the agreement, AWS will provide Exabytes with approximately RM4.3 million in funding over two years (2026-2028), with disbursements tied to measurable program outcomes including student completions, AWS certifications achieved, and successful job placements. The initiative includes robust reporting mechanisms to ensure transparency and track the program's social impact. All graduates who meet performance standards will be well-placed to explore job opportunities through internships and full-time placements within Exabytes and its partner network.

According to Chan Kee Siak, Founder and CEO of Exabytes, the partnership with AWS and Forward College will lead to the development of an end-to-end talent engine.

“Through the Centre of Cloud Excellence, we’re helping customers and communities alike to grow digital, grow talent, and grow innovation. By prioritising B40 youth and enabling career-switchers from M40 communities, we’re helping Malaysians gain financial independence through future-ready digital careers,” Chan said.

For Kirsten Gilbertson, Partner Organization Leader, AWS ASEAN, the initiative represents AWS's deep commitment to nation building in Malaysia. By investing in the AWS Malaysia Region, Gilbertson explained that AWS is building the next generation of digital leaders who will drive Malaysia's innovation economy forward.

“From students taking their first steps in technology to career-switchers seeking new opportunities, we're committed to developing AI fluency and cloud expertise at every stage of the talent pipeline. Malaysia has tremendous strengths as a regional technology hub, and through partnerships like this, we're ensuring that Malaysians from all backgrounds have the skills and credentials to lead in the AI-powered future," said Gilbertson.

The launch follows AWS’s US$6.2 billion investment to develop its AWS Asia Pacific (Malaysia) Region, announced in 2024, which is expected to create thousands of high-skilled jobs and expand demand for certified cloud professionals nationwide.

Developing skills in cloud and AI

With Malaysia continuing to see remarkable digital growth, cloud skilling and reskilling are a core part of how AWS supports Malaysia’s digital and AI ambitions. The vendor does this through close partnerships with government agencies, education institutions, and industry players.

In Malaysia, AWS has trained more than 100,000 people in Malaysia in cloud skills since 2017. Its curriculum continues to evolve to include flexible, self-paced, and game-based AI learning paths to support learners at different stages.

Apart from the partnership with Exabytes, AWS has also launched the CendekiAwan Malaysia Program with Elitery Malaysia to train 20,000 students from up to 11 universities in cloud computing and generative AI skills. The program combines hands-on application building using AWS PartyRock with a train-the-trainer model and will culminate in a nationwide showcase of high-impact AI projects.

The vendor has also partnered with PayNet in Program Akar which is focued on equipping university students with industry-relevant digital skills, while large-scale initiatives like theGreat Malaysia AI Hackathon 2025, co-hosted with Asia Pacific University and MDEC, continue to expose students nationwide to real-world AI problem-solving.

Looking at the partnership with Forward College and Exabytes, AWS hopes participants who meet program benchmarks will gain access to AWS training and certification pathways, as well as internship and job placement opportunities, creating a clear and structured pathway from skills development to employment.

Preparing for the future

For AWS, cloud and AI skills will be key to having new types of careers, especially with the rise of autonomous and agent-based technologies, which are changing how software is built and how people work with technology.

At AWS re:Invent 2025, AWS introduced new capabilities that allow AI agents to reason, plan, and take action across longer, more complex workflows, spanning software development, IT operations, security, and enterprise productivity. This means people are no longer just writing code task by task. Instead, they are designing systems, defining outcomes, and orchestrating AI to solve problems end to end.

With human roles evolving, constant skilling and upskilling will be key. As such, partnerships and initiatives like these will prepare the workforce to be ready to work and adopt emerging technologies. The vendor remains focused on supporting this shift by building the infrastructure, security, and governance foundations that allow organizations and individuals to adopt these technologies confidently, while moving into higher-value, more creative, and more impactful work.