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AWS partners with Nashville Innovation Alliance to transform Tennessee’s AI and cloud workforce

by Tekla Moquin on 01 OCT 2025 in Announcements, Artificial Intelligence, Education, Higher education, Public Sector | Permalink | Share

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is expanding its Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance to Tennessee, which becomes the sixth state in the alliance. Through a strategic collaboration with the Nashville Innovation Alliance, this partnership aims to address middle Tennessee’s growing technology talent demand, with particular emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing skills.

The region is experiencing significant need, with tech job postings increasing by 35 percent between 2020 and 2023, and an estimated 8,000 open technology positions across the region.

“AWS Skills to Jobs is designed to create accessible pathways to cloud and AI-enabled careers, and Nashville’s dynamic technology community makes it an ideal location for expansion,” said Valerie Singer, general manager of Global Education at AWS. “By collaborating with the Nashville Innovation Alliance, we’re leveraging their deep community connections to build a sustainable pipeline of tech talent.”

“By giving Nashvillians the skills and expertise needed to access leading tech jobs, we will better prepare our local workforce for the economy of tomorrow which will help spread economic prosperity throughout our city… The future is bright for Nashville, and innovative programs like this will allow us to reach our full potential,” said Mayor Freddie O’Connell.

Key Stakeholders in the Nashville Innovation Alliance

The Nashville Innovation Alliance has brought together key partners from education, government, and industry, including:

  • Higher Education Institutions:
    • Vanderbilt University
    • Nashville State Community College
    • Belmont University
    • Tennessee State University
    • Fisk University
  • Government & Community:
    • Office of Mayor Freddie O’Connell
    • Greater Nashville Technology Council
    • Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Major Employers:
    • AllianceBernstein
    • Barge Design Solutions
    • Brooksource
    • Dell Technologies
    • Schneider Electric
    • Vanderbilt University
    • Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County

Goals of AWS Skills to Jobs

AWS Skills to Jobs will work with stakeholders to:

  1. Modernize programs of study at engaged higher education institutions, ensuring they align with industry demand for AI and cloud skills.
  2. Connect learners from those programs with potential employers and experiential learning opportunities that allow learners to demonstrate and hone AI and cloud skills learned in the classroom.

“The Nashville Innovation Alliance was launched to bring partners together to solve real challenges,” said Sally Parker, interim executive director of the Nashville Innovation Alliance. “This initiative with AWS is a powerful example, and model for future efforts, of how industry, community, and education can align to grow Nashville’s tech talent pipeline and ensure our region remains a hub for inclusive, future-ready opportunity.”

Impact and Future Outlook

The program is critical for middle Tennessee’s technology sector, which currently has a workforce exceeding 40,000 professionals and average technology salaries surpassing $80,000. A strong talent pipeline is essential to maintain this growth.

Looking ahead:

  • The initiative aims to serve over 1,000 Tennesseans by 2027.
  • Planned expansion to other areas of the state is scheduled for 2026.
  • This supports Nashville’s growing reputation as a technology center in the southeastern US.

Global Context: The AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance

  • Launch: June 2023 at the AWS Summit Washington, DC.
  • Purpose: To bring together a global coalition of higher education institutions, employers, government, and collaborating organizations to address the tech skills gap.
  • Current Reach: The Tech Alliance is currently represented in 12 countries (US, Spain, Singapore, Italy, Germany, India, Colombia, Brazil, Malaysia, France, United Kingdom, and Thailand).
  • US Expansion: Tennessee is the sixth US state engaged as a focus region, joining:
    • New York
    • Illinois
    • Washington
    • West Virginia
    • Texas
  • Metrics Since Launch: The Tech Alliance has connected more than 62,000 learners from 990-plus higher education institutions with more than 780 employers.

To learn more or get involved, please visit the AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance homepage.

TAGS: announcements, Artificial Intelligence, AWS Public Sector, education, skills, skills development, workforce development