By 2035, approximately 15% of all jobs in the EU are expected to be in high-tech sectors. Yet currently, only 28% of people possess above basic digital skills. Amazon recognises the urgency of equipping young people today with the knowledge and experience needed to fill the high-skill jobs of tomorrow. Two recent education initiatives in Poland and Spain illustrate the company’s commitment to closing the digital skills gap across Europe.

In Poland, Amazon partners with the Digital Coaction Association to run STEM Kindloteka, a newly opened, modern hub within the Warsaw Social Innovation Laboratory where children and teenagers can boost their skills in reading, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The company has equipped the facility with cutting-edge educational tools, including Kindle tablets, educational robots, programming kits and diverse teaching resources.

At the centre, young people can participate in immersive workshops using virtual reality headsets, 3D printing, Makey Makey boards (circuit boards that plug into computers and function as keyboards), robots, micro:bit (programmable devices that give hands-on experience with coding) and LEGO bricks, as well as plenty of interactive experiments. Every session, from programming and robotics to creative tinkering, is offered free of charge by qualified teachers, librarians, educators and Amazon volunteers.

Mariusz Mielczarek, Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe, Public Policy, Amazon, explained:

‘Launching the first STEM Kindloteka in Warsaw is a key part of our mission to support children’s education in Poland. We hope this new space will inspire future technology leaders and visionaries to keep learning and innovating. By partnering with local schools and nonprofit organisations, we continue building an ecosystem that nurtures digital skills among the youngest learners.’

Digital skills are equally important further west in Spain, where the growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and other digital technologies could contribute an additional €282 billion to Spain’s economy by 2030. However, more than 30% of Spanish companies have difficulties finding staff with technical skills, especially in AI.

To help ensure the country can take advantage of the opportunities that come with digital transformation, Amazon is working with Spain’s Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports to train half a million students between the ages of 11 and 25 by 2027. This shared commitment will give young people from high schools, vocational training schools, universities and other higher education institutions access to training courses and tools in technological and digital skills, official industry certifications, mentoring programmes, virtual visits to logistics centres and professional internships within Amazon.

Reflecting on this partnership, Suzana Curic, Country Lead for Spain and Portugal, Amazon Web Services (AWS), said:

‘Spain has all the ingredients to be a world leader in AI – world class infrastructure, a great location, talented startups and established international and national brands. We have been supporting this country to develop its digital talent with a wide range of educational programmes in collaboration with different institutions and focused on making science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education accessible, unleashing its maximum potential to address the most challenging problems in our society.’

Amazon supports these goals through a variety of initiatives. For example, Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) offers computer science courses and scholarships to primary, secondary and high school students from different backgrounds. Through collaborations with educational organisations such as Code.org, Save the Children, YMCA as well as local administrations, Amazon provides course modules and virtual tours of its logistics centres to show real-life applications and technology work. The AFE programme also incorporates teacher training, including the fundamentals of computer science and programming in classrooms.

Likewise, AWS launched the AWS Spain Tech Alliance in 2023 to equip students with the most in-demand technological knowledge in the cloud field and address the technology skills gap in technical schools and university curricula. The coalition includes more than 50 companies, AWS partners and customers, government agencies and over 600 educational institutions. As part of its work with the Tech Alliance, AWS Academy helps higher education institutions prepare students for industry-recognised cloud certifications and careers, while AWS Educate supports students in learning about cloud computing technologies at their own pace. In addition, training events like AWS DeepRacer teaches students to use AI and ML with an AWS cloud-based racing simulator, with the possibility of competing globally with students from other countries.

Of these initiatives’ importance, Mariangela Marseglia, Vice President and General Manager for Spain, Italy and Portugal, Amazon, said:

‘Reducing the digital skills gap and providing specific knowledge and tools to master STEAM disciplines is key to support Spanish business to recruit much-needed talent. Stimulating interest in scientific careers and digital entrepreneurship is fundamental for the development of this country, giving young people access to higher paid, higher value work to achieve their full potential.’