Tolles Career & Technical Center -

By Todd Hoadley, Superintendent, Tolles Career and Technical Center

From streaming your favorite show to video chatting with loved ones or collaborating on work and school projects, cloud computing has become an indispensable part of daily life. This digital convenience relies on a physical foundation: data centers. And the foundation of those data centers are people, many of whom that work at these data centers I have had the pleasure of knowing here in Ohio.

Thanks to a lot of smart planning and strategic investment on the part of central Ohio communities, our region is quickly emerging as a key hub for this vital infrastructure. The growth comes with a phenomenon that is both an opportunity and a challenge: a rising demand for a specialized, highly skilled workforce.

As central Ohioans have become more aware of our status as a major player in this space, Amazon’s ongoing commitment to our region is showcased by its plans to invest more than $23 billion in Ohio by 2030 to expand its cloud infrastructure.

That commitment also includes its partnership with us at Tolles Career & Technical Center. Tolles faculty and students, both high-schoolers and adult learners, have seen firsthand how far Amazon’s investment goes beyond physical infrastructure. It’s a deep partnership focused on preparing students for high-demand careers right here in central Ohio.

One key initiative is the Community Workforce Accelerator, a new mobile data center and training lab on wheels that brings hands-on training of data center technologies and fiber optics to students across the region. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has also partnered with Tolles to offer free, two-day Fiber Optic Fusion Splicing Certificate courses, equipping participants with in-demand skills to install and repair the fiber optic cables that power broadband and cloud systems. Tolles also serves as a host site for the AWS Information Infrastructure Pre-Apprenticeship (I2PA) — a paid, four-week training program that offers practical instruction and industry-recognized credentials. At the end of the program, graduates are connected with local employers, including AWS and its partners. As one of our recent graduates told me: “I used to have three jobs. Now I have one, and it’s a career. I’m going to be able to put my kids through college.” This type of dream turned into reality wouldn’t be possible without this strong partnership we have with Amazon.

In addition, AWS has collaborated with us at Tolles to help education and workforce leaders better understand the careers available in the cloud through Information Infrastructure Workshops (I2W) for Educators that help align curriculum with real-world industry needs.

Our IT programs include cloud-focused coursework and industry certifications that introduce students to the fundamentals of cloud computing. And, personally, it’s allowed me to expand our work by hosting trainings throughout Ohio for educators and learners, showing the impressive scale that programs and partnerships like this can create.

This multifaceted support ensures that both high-school and adult learners at Tolles are gaining the skills, certifications, and real-world experience needed to thrive in Ohio’s fast-growing tech economy. This is more than just corporate generosity — it’s a strategic investment by Amazon in the future of our workforce. AWS is not only building data centers; they’re helping build a talent pipeline that will power our region for decades to come.

As I often say, our partnership with AWS has been a game-changer, opening doors for students and strengthening our community.

Together, we’re not just preparing for the future — we’re building it.

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