European Cloud & AI Skills Hub: Free Training and Certifications for Romania's Next Generation of Builders
This program aims to offer free training and certifications resources for students, tackle real-world use cases hands on through hackathons, foster employment pathways connecting certified students with hiring opportunities, and guidance along the way. Based now on a strong partnership between AWS (AWS T&C, AWS Academy) and Amazon Development Center Romania.
It Started with a Mission
Offer free training and certifications resources to students, bridge the gap between early career and job market, and solve real impactful challenges through hands on hackathons.
Thousands of students across Romania graduate every year with strong technical foundations — but without the cloud and AI skills that employers are actually hiring for. The certifications that open doors cost $100–$150 each. The premium learning platforms sit behind paywalls. The gap between university and career shouldn't depend on what you can afford.
That's the we set out to solve: what if every tech student in Romania could get AWS certified — for free?
In 2024, we tested the idea with a free AI Practitioner Certification Challenge. 461 students signed up — proving the demand was real and the hunger for these skills was far greater than anyone expected.
That experiment confirmed something important: students don't lack motivation or talent — they lack access. So the team decided to go bigger.
The Launch: June 2026
Today, the European Cloud & AI Skills Hub opens its doors to every technical university student in Romania. Here's what every participant receives — completely free:
🎓 12 months of AWS Skill Builder — premium access to 600+ courses, hands-on labs, game-based learning through AWS Cloud Quest, and AI-powered simulations
📜 Up to 4 free AWS certification exam vouchers (worth $100–$150 each):
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- AWS Certified AI Practitioner
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
- AWS Certified Developer – Associate
🎯 Live coaching & support — kick-off session, bi-weekly Office Hours with an AWS Solutions Architects, and 4 exam preparation sessions
🏆 A Hackathon in September 2026 — where participants compete, collaborate, and showcase their new skills
💼 Access to the AWS Certified LinkedIn group — with job opportunities from AWS partners and customers
The Vision: An European Cloud & AI Skills Hub
That first mission proved something bigger than anyone expected — there was massive, untapped demand. Romania's tech sector employs over 200,000 software developers, contributes 7–8% of the country's GDP, and produces 10,000+ IT graduates annually from over 30 technical universities offering STEM programs. Yet the gap between what universities teach and what employers need in cloud and AI skills was growing wider every year.
In early 2025, a cross-organizational team — spanning AWS Romania, AWS Training & Certification EMEA, and Amazon Development Center Romania — proposed something ambitious: train 40,000 students in cloud computing, AI, and generative AI over five years (2025–2029) and certify 7,500 of them at associate and specialty level.
The initiative is named the European Cloud & AI Skills Hub, with Romania as its founding country.
The vision went beyond training. The program would:
- Collaborate with partners to identify real-world use cases tackled through annual hackathons
- Foster employment pathways connecting certified students with AWS customers and partners
- Position Romania as a model for cloud skills development that could scale across Europe
Before scaling to thousands, the team needed to get the details right. From late 2025 through April 2026, an 80-student pilot launched across universities in Bucharest, Cluj, Iasi, and Timisoara — Romania's four largest tech hubs. Big THANK YOU for your support! ❤️
For Students: Your Path Starts Here
No prior cloud experience needed. The Cloud Practitioner and AI Practitioner paths are designed for beginners. Most students complete a certification in 4–8 weeks studying 2–3 hours per week.
How to join:
- Check if your university is already enrolled
- If yes → contact your faculty's Learning Admin to be updated
- If not → ask a professor to join as a Learning Admin (free for them too!)
- Register your interest → pulse.aws/survey/C8MFEBB7
For Universities & Educators
Any Romanian technical university can join — free of charge. Educators receive the same benefits as students (12 months Skill Builder + up to 4 certification vouchers) and gain access to ready-to-teach cloud curriculum.
What Comes Next
The European Cloud & AI Skills Hub is just getting started. The roadmap includes:
- September 2026: First program-wide Hackathon
- 2026–2027: Expansion to additional universities and faculties nationwide
- Annual hackathons: Partnering with public sector to solve real-world challenges
- Employment pathways: Connecting certified graduates with AWS customers and partners
A Story Still Being Written
Two years ago, 461 students took a chance on a free certification challenge. Today, tens of thousands will have the opportunity to build careers in cloud and AI — careers that didn't exist a decade ago, powered by skills they can now access at zero cost.
This is what happens when industry, education, and local teams come together with a shared belief: that talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn't — and that's something we can change.
Free training. Free certifications. The European Cloud & AI Skills Hub is now open. Start learning!
Join European Cloud & AI Skills Hub Builder Space to be up do date with the program.
Contact email: cloud-ai-skills-hub@amazon.com
The European Cloud & AI Skills Hub is an initiative by AWS, Amazon Development Center Romania and AWS Academy. For more information, visit awsacademy.com/InstitutionApplication or register your interest at pulse.aws/survey/C8MFEBB7 .
#AWS #CloudComputing #AI #AWSCertified #Romania #TechEducation #EuropeanCloudSkillsHub #GenerativeAI #FutureOfWork
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