As Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) continues its rapid development of new tech and updating of established services, its need to provide accessible ways for users to familiarize themselves with the tools is increasing to match demand.

During Amazon re:Invent 2015 in Las Vegas, Maureen Lonergan, global training and certification for AWS, met with John Furrier, cohost of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, for a one-on-one discussion of how AWS is meeting those needs, the exciting prospects of the Internet of Things and other opportunities being investigated by the company.

Fundamentals and security

With a range of educational courses scaled to users’ needs, AWS focuses on providing a flexible way for its “students” to grasp the material in various ways. AWS Essentials, AWS Security Fundamentals and AWS Educate (which focuses on providing courses to schools) are just a few of AWS’ enterprises providing entry points to achieving certification.

And as Lonergan noted, the response has been tremendous enough that AWS is able to update its courses “every two to three weeks.” With global accessibility to the programs reaching more than 40 countries within that same time range, the demand is being closely met.

Addressing the skills gap

“As far as the skills gap, it is big, and it seems like it’s getting bigger,” Lonergan noted, though she outlined a number of ways with which AWS is proactively reducing that gap. “We are working very closely with enterprises … with some, we have permanent staff.”

Free test exams and practice labs give people interested in exploring AWS’ applications a way to test the waters, while those who are further along have a community ready to support them in continuing their education. “People are investing in certification,” said Lonergan. “Everybody needs their data; everybody needs to learn how to use it.”

Watch the full video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Amazon re:Invent 2015. And join in on the conversation by CrowdChatting with theCUBE hosts.

Photo by SiliconANGLE