Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne launches new Cloud Solutions Specialist program in Montreal, Quebec

MONTREAL, June 18, 2025— In collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne announces today a new program, Cloud Solutions Specialist. The program aims to support the development of a qualified workforce in the design, deployment, and management of cloud solutions in Quebec and leads to a College Studies Attestation (AEC), recognized by Quebec’s Ministry of Higher Education.

According to forecasts from MarketsandMarkets, the global cloud services market is expected to exceed $800 billion USD in 2025. The latest estimates predict an annual growth of 8.42% by 2029. Additionally, the AWS Global Digital Skills Report estimated that 6.5 million Canadian workers needed to be trained in 2024 to keep pace with technological advancements and succeed in their careers.

A response to worker and industry needs

A first in Quebec, the Cloud Solutions Specialist program helps individuals acquire cloud computing skills and creates employment opportunities locally. The initiative benefits from the collaboration of Services Québec de Montréal and a planned financial contribution from the Government of Quebec totaling approximately $585,000 for the program’s first two cohorts.

“Cloud Solutions Specialist addresses a critical industry need, given the exponential growth of cloud computing and the increasing demand for qualified professionals in the field,” explains Simon Delamarre, Director of Continuing Education and Business Services at Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne, a public higher education college offering pre-university, technical, and continuing education programs.

“Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne is thrilled to collaborate with AWS to create a diverse pool of new cloud talent,” he continues. “This training is based on shared values of collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to economic and social development, seeking to reskill underrepresented populations in the digital technology field and in the labor market—which is at the heart of AWS re/Start. While open to everyone, the program is geared towards women as well as unemployed, Indigenous, and immigrant individuals.”

Launched in the United Kingdom in 2017, AWS re/Start was created as a response to the shortage of qualified cloud computing workforce in businesses and organizations, offering learners a free 12-week training program and facilitating connections with local employers. Now present in 240 cities and 70 countries, more than 20,000 graduates are employed thanks to the program.

“AWS re/Start injects new talent into our workforce pool, creating an environment conducive to prosperity, which remains a priority for AWS and reaffirms our commitment to Quebec,” explains Réjean Bourgault, Country Manager at AWS Canada. “Thanks to the teaching expertise and enhanced curriculum offered by Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne, together we will stimulate the development of a diverse cloud computing workforce so that local organizations increase their competitive advantage.”

A comprehensive curriculum offered at Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne

Cloud Solutions Specialist is designed as a solution adapted to the Quebec education system and aligned with the realities and needs of the Montreal job market. The 12-month program delves into advanced technical skills such network infrastructure and storage solutions, data exploitation, security and governance in a cloud environment, implementation of cloud computing services, as well as quality assurance and testing techniques. It includes a two-month end-of-studies paid internship in a company to facilitate workplace integration.

Accompanied by professional mentors and accredited trainers, participants will follow the 12-week AWS re/Start curriculum within this program, which includes learnings based on real world scenarios, hands-on labs, and coursework. AWS re/Start also offers participants mentoring to prepare their resumes and recruitment interviews with potential employers.

“To enable businesses and organizations to accelerate in competitiveness, we’ve included modules on the fundamentals of AI and machine learning (ML), as well as managed services in AI and ML,” explains Manon Yelle, Canadian Lead, Solutions Architecture at AWS Canada. “Today, nearly 90% of Canadian companies plan to hire for positions requiring generative artificial intelligence (AI) skills.”

The Collège’s Cloud Solutions Specialist program will also address strategic, economic, legal, and organizational aspects related to the adoption of or migration to cloud solutions, including fundamentals, architectures, and cloud services, as well as security, data management, and best practices related to solutions in this sector. At the end of the program, graduates will be able to design, deploy, and manage cloud-based solutions for businesses or organizations.

A first cohort will begin in the fall of 2025, with a second already planned for the winter 2026 session. Students will benefit from a free program, thanks to the financial participation of the Government of Quebec (joint investment from the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity and the Ministry of Higher Education) and the collaboration of Services Québec de Montréal.

The program’s promotion and visibility efforts will aim at including populations underrepresented in the digital technology field and in the job market, particularly women, unemployed individuals, Indigenous people, and immigrants.

The Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne Foundation is also proud to collaborate on the project with the creation of a scholarship fund dedicated to students in the new program. With a financial support from AWS Canada, the Foundation is confident of reaching the goal of raising $50,000 during the year. The first scholarships will be awarded in the fall of 2025.

For more information on the Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne Cloud Solutions Specialist program.

NT4