AWS announces training programs, sustainability projects in Mississippi

In January, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced plans to invest $10 billion in Mississippi to build two data center complexes and create at least 1,000 new jobs. The planned investment marked the single largest capital investment in Mississippi’s history and is part of Amazon’s long-term commitment to the Magnolia State. Amazon has already invested $2.3 billion and supported dozens of local schools through STEAM education and Amazon Future Engineer initiatives.

Today, at a groundbreaking event with Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves near the eventual site of the data center complexes, AWS made several announcements about the support it will bring to Mississippi, including the estimated impact on the state’s gross domestic product (GDP), new renewable energy agreements, workforce development trainings, and community engagement programming.

AWS released a new economic impact study (EIS) focused on its planned $10 billion investment in the state, showcasing that it would add an estimated $3.3 billion to Mississippi’s GDP, while supporting more than 2,700 full-time equivalent jobs on an annual average basis. These jobs include roles within the data center supply chain such as electricians, construction workers, and fiber-optic technicians, and jobs within the local community supported by AWS’s investment. This is in addition to the 1,000 new jobs being created by AWS’s investment.

“Our commitment to the Magnolia State is multi-dimensional,” said Kevin Miller, AWS Vice President of Global Data Centers. “In addition to the direct benefits of new, technical jobs and local investment, we’re excited to partner with local community colleges and schools to accelerate local talent development, deliver new programs to educate people of all ages, and have plans to help sponsor important local events. Amazon is the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, and we’re excited to partner in delivering 650 megawatts of new solar energy projects to help power our operations in Mississippi.”

New renewable energy commitments

A photo of the Delta wind project in Tunica County, Mississippi.

Delta Wind project, Tunica County, MississippiPhoto by AES

Amazon is committed to match the electricity used in all of its operations with 100% renewable energy, including AWS data centers. To date, Amazon has already matched over 90% of the electricity used by our global operations with renewable energy, and we’ve matched 100% of the electricity used by the data centers in 19 of our AWS Regions.

At the event, Amazon announced a first-of-its-kind deal with local utility company Entergy to enable 650 megawatts of new renewable energy projects in Mississippi over the next three years. This capacity will help power Amazon’s local operations. The agreement also provides funding for future upgrades to local grid and energy infrastructure over the next two decades.

Amazon is now poised to enable a total of 1.3 gigawatts of new carbon-free energy in Mississippi through a combination of new solar and wind farms being built across the state. Together, the projects will produce the energy equivalent to powering 303,000 U.S. homes and provide new sources of carbon-free energy to the grid, while helping power Amazon’s local data centers, stores, and fulfillment centers. These additional projects include Delta Wind, the state’s first utility-scale wind farm along the Mississippi Delta, which is expected to bring tens of millions of dollars in consistent tax revenue to the local community.

Workforce development workshops, facilities, and education opportunities

An illustration of an Amazon Community Workforce Accelerator building in Mississippi.

Amazon Community Workforce Accelerator preliminary building design

AWS will build a first-of-its-kind training center in Mississippi to support careers in cloud computing infrastructure with AWS and its network of contractors, vendors, and partners. The new Amazon Community Workforce Accelerator Madison County will feature an assortment of workforce development programming targeted at roles inside and outside of AWS data centers and learning labs. It also includes equipment and support for practicing data center and networking/fiber skills, community gathering spaces, and other support, including interview coaching and mentoring.

For elementary and middle school students, AWS is donating $200,000 worth of equipment, curriculum, and training—with a matching donation from Accelerate Mississippi—to seed new programs in Madison, Canton, and Jackson public schools. These programs provide career and technical learning tools that teach participants about things like design and 3D printing, hand and power tools, electricity and fiber optics, computer programming and coding, business concepts, marketing, and more.

Additionally, AWS will offer multiple workforce development workshops and programs in Mississippi. These include free fiber-optic splicing courses, collaborations with Holmes and Hinds Community Colleges to support fiber-optic technician certification courses, and donating decommissioned data center equipment to facilitate training and education at local colleges and nonprofit organizations.

AWS InCommunities initiatives are now coming to the Jackson area

A photo of students visiting the AWS Think Big Space in at J. Lupton Simpson Middle School in Leesburg, Virginia. There is a student in the forefront of the photo trying on virtual reality goggles, and students talking with several teachers in the background.

AWS Think Big Space in Leesburg, Virginia

As part of AWS’s long-term commitment to Mississippi, AWS InCommunities announced the following programs:

A Mississippi AWS InCommunities Fund of $250,000. The AWS InCommunities Fund empowers communities to launch local programming with a focus on underserved areas. The $250,000 fund will be open to community organizations and individuals who want to create and support projects that benefit the greater Jackson area. The categories for the funding include STEAM (science, technology, education, arts, and mathematics) education, sustainability, food insecurity, and community building. Grant requests and management will be administered by ChangeX. Interested parties can visit ChangeX to learn more or apply for funding.

Girls’ Tech Series events. The Girls’ Tech Series is a free learning experience focused on STEAM with activities designed to engage, connect, and activate future female innovators. This program exposes girls and young women to coding, robotics, cloud computing, problem-solving, and more. In collaboration with Accelerate Mississippi and multiple organizations in the state, multiformat Girls’ Tech Series events will begin in the fall. Learn more about the Girls Tech Series.

New AWS Think Big Spaces. AWS Think Big Spaces provide a place beyond the standard classroom for students to explore and cultivate an interest in STEAM. These labs encourage a hands-on approach where students think big to solve real-world problems. In conjunction with Accelerate Mississippi, local school districts, and CSpire, AWS InCommunities will open an AWS Think Big Space in the greater Jackson area by the end of 2024, with more spaces to follow.

AWS appreciates the support of Gov. Reeves, state and local leaders, and the companies and groups that will help make all of this commitment possible. We look forward to serving our customers and communities in Mississippi for years to come.

If you are in Mississippi and looking to get into cloud technologies, AWS is hosting free workshops the week of May 20 at Bean Path in Jackson, Madison Career & Technical Center in Madison, and Holmes Community College in Richland. For those interested in learning more about careers in fiber optics, there will be a Fiber Employer Fair on May 23 offering career discussions with local and national fiber-related employers.

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