Tennessee joins AWS’ AI and cloud workforce training program

A new partnership aims to create more pathways to jobs in artificial intelligence and cloud computing in Tennessee.

October 2, 2025

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Amazon Web Services announced Wednesday an expansion of its Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance program, as it partnered with the Nashville Innovation Alliance in Tennessee to create more pathways to jobs in artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

The announcement makes Tennessee the sixth state to join the Alliance, following Illinois, New York, Texas, Washington and West Virginia. The program’s expansion aims to address middle Tennessee’s growing tech talent demand. According to AWS, tech job postings have increased in the region by 35% between 2020 and 2023, and there are an estimated 8,000 open technology positions there.

The Nashville Innovation Alliance, which launched in June 2024 as a partnership between Vanderbilt University and the Nashville mayor’s office, now includes other higher education institutions, including Nashville State Community College, Belmont University, Tennessee State University and Fisk University. AWS will work with these institutions and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County to update their study programs to ensure they align with industry demand for AI and cloud skills.

The Alliance will also help participants connect with potential employers and provide experiential learning opportunities to test their AI and cloud skills outside of a classroom. The program aims to train more than 1,000 Tennesseans around the Nashville area by 2027. Expansion to other areas of the state is planned for next year. Employers involved in the partnership include AllianceBernstein, Barge Design Solutions, Brooksource, Dell Technologies and Schneider Electric.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said this work and AWS’s goals align with the state’s broader workforce development objectives and support Nashville’s growing reputation as a tech hub.

“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,” O’Connell said in a news release. “And when we make announcements like this, we want Nashvillians to see themselves in the pathways to these opportunities.”