At STT Systems, we firmly believe that continuous learning is the key to staying competitive and innovative in an ever-evolving market. Cloud computing has moved beyond being a trend—it’s now an essential component for organizations aiming to scale, optimize processes, and stay up to date.
That’s why, at the end of 2023, we decided to take things a step further and organize an intensive training course on Amazon Web Services (AWS). The course was part of the European project CloudCamp4SMEs and brought together a group of colleagues from various departments. In this post, we’ll share how the initiative came about, what the training entailed, what we learned, and how we experienced it from the inside.
How did the idea for this course come about?
The decision to organize this training stemmed from two key factors. On one hand, STT—through an internal capability assessment (part of our quality management system)—identified a strategic need to upskill more staff in cloud technologies as a fundamental investment in our future.
At the same time, an opportunity arose through AFM as part of the CC4SME European initiative, which offers funded, predefined learning paths for SME employees. Thanks to AFM’s mediation, we connected with FastLane, an accredited training partner, and this collaboration gave rise to the course.
What were our goals?
Our main internal goal was to train the team in cloud-related knowledge and services—critical skills for meeting the technological challenges ahead. From the beginning, we set out the following clear objectives:
- Define the benefits of adopting a cloud strategy within the organization.
- Evaluate how digital tools can improve productivity, customer service, and service delivery agility.
- Describe the digital skills applicable to each role.
- Integrate security best practices into daily operations.
Additionally, we aimed to prepare participants for the official AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam.
Course structure, duration, and instructor
The course ran for three intensive days with a well-structured format:
- Day 1: Pre-test to assess initial knowledge, followed by the full-day course AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (8 hours, instructor-led and online).
- Day 2: Instructor-led online course Moving to the Cloud: Decisions for SME Employees (6 hours), followed by a post-test to measure progress.
- Day 3: Exam preparation session and Q&A.
The course was delivered by Juan F. Soto, a certified instructor with extensive AWS experience. His ability to explain complex topics clearly was instrumental to the course’s success.
What did the course include and what did we learn?
The training path combined theory and practice, covering the following key areas:
- AWS fundamentals and global infrastructure.
- Deployment models: on-premises, hybrid, and cloud.
- Economic and scalability benefits of cloud computing.
- Secure architecture principles and the AWS Well-Architected Framework.
- Shared Responsibility Model.
- Migration strategies and SME use cases.
- Core AWS services and their integration in business processes.
Participants completed a final assessment, built a study plan for certification, and received a certificate from the European program.
Team voices: our experience
Beyond the technical content, the most valuable takeaway was the personal experience of our team. We gathered feedback from participants—here are some standout quotes:
🎯 Eñaut: “It blew my mind, to be honest. It’s like discovering a whole new universe I knew nothing about.”
🎯 Julen: “Grateful to learn about new technologies. I’d love to continue with the next certification level.”
🎯 Jon: “Now we can better assess the impact of migrating to the cloud and plan more precisely.”
🎯 Rubén: “I was surprised by how precisely AWS is designed. It forces you to apply good practices by default, demanding strong technical foundations.”
🎯 David: “The cloud is too vast to explore in just three days, but it’s definitely worth dedicating time to understand its full potential.”
🎯 Chus: “A course on its own isn’t enough. You need prior knowledge, personal study, and hands-on practice to become truly competent.”
🎯 Mikel and Fernando also shared positive feedback, while acknowledging that there’s still a long way to go in applying all the knowledge to real-world projects.
Everyone agreed: this is just the first step in an ongoing learning process that requires practice and commitment.
Advice for other companies
Many participants emphasized how valuable it is to invest in team training:
- Choosing an experienced instructor accelerates and strengthens the learning process.
- Tailoring the training to the company’s real needs maximizes its impact.
- Combining theory with real-world projects helps consolidate knowledge.
As one participant put it: “Investing in your team is the most reliable strategy for long-term success.”
Conclusion: looking to the future
The AWS training opened our eyes to new technological possibilities and helped us lay the groundwork for future cloud-based projects at STT Systems.
We would like to thank AFM for their support, FastLane for their excellent organization, and Juan F. Soto for his outstanding work as an instructor. And, of course, a big thank you to our colleagues for their enthusiasm, commitment, and willingness to keep learning.
We’ll continue to invest in our team’s development and explore all the opportunities the cloud has to offer. As one team member wisely said:
“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I still have to learn. My status: always improving.”