The New York listed (NYSE:DXC) tech giant says that in total, almost 10,000 of its employees are expected to complete the training before the end of December, in locations across Australia, New Zealand, India, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.

According to DXC, the cloud guild training and enablement program will provide employees with the skills needed to innovate in all areas of cloud technologies, and will underpin a culture of “innovation and equip employees with a broad understanding of cloud technologies, enabling them to partner with our clients in the design, deployment and operation of applications on cloud platforms”.

The program will be delivered online by certified instructors, with employees accessing training in areas such as cloud architecture, security and operations.

Seelan Nayagam, managing director, DXC Technology Australia and New Zealand, said that regardless of a person’s role at DXC, “the program will offer a range of learning opportunities and certifications, allowing each person to develop new skills relevant to their field”.

“Now more than ever, technology is playing a critical part in how everyone works, and cloud in particular plays a critical role supporting this,” said Nayagam.

“With a global skills shortage in cloud technologies, it is the perfect time for our employees to embrace this opportunity. We are equipping our people with the skills needed for the future so they can help our clients accelerate transformation and innovation during this crisis and beyond.

“We will continue to make investments to enhance and increase the skills, knowledge and capabilities of our workforce in the ANZ region. To create a truly agile working culture and stay ahead of the digital change curve, it is important that we are able to work beyond our job titles, in collaborative environments. This program will ensure that a level of fundamental knowledge of a key area of focus and growth for DXC is pervasive throughout the organisation.”

Rhody Burton, Head of Cloud Partnerships and Alliances at Google Cloud, ANZ said, “hybrid and multi-cloud approaches represent the way forward for businesses and ensuring their teams are prepared through training highlights DXC’s culture of innovation. It’s a positive step forward for the company, its customers and the industry as a whole."

“Successful digital transformation derives from a people first, technology second approach. Having a skilled, flexible and committed workforce is essential for all organisations, now more than ever,” said Rachel Bondi, Chief Partner Officer, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft Australia

“DXC’s investment in its people reinforces its learning culture and primes it for sustained success as it works with customers to ensure optimum impact from transformation.”

Kerrie-Anne Turner, Acting Managing Director, VMware ANZ said: “With organisations experiencing enormous change, it’s important for businesses to equip their people with the knowledge and abilities to help them adapt to the new normal”.

“As we move into the phase of challenging old assumptions and adopting more efficient ways of working, it’s wonderful to see DXC taking proactive steps to invest in the future of its own team. DXC’s cloud education program will help to ensure its people have the technology skills and understanding they can use to support customers now and into the future.”