Robert Burgess of Madison, Mississippi, never imagined where a simple web search would lead. Working for a low-voltage installation company, he searched “fiber training Mississippi” and discovered an AWS pre-apprenticeship program that would later transform his career path.
“A year ago, this was nowhere near my radar,” Burgess reflected. Now, he’s an Assistant Superintendent with Yates Construction, building Amazon data centers in Canton.
The four-week AWS program, which Robert completed in late 2024, taught him data center construction fundamentals—from electrical and mechanical systems to fiber optics and servers. He was even paid to complete the training. He left the program with multiple certificates, including the OSHA 10-Hour certification.
“I’m grateful it put me in a position to have a good job and career that can grow,” Burgess said. “AWS is creating opportunities that didn’t exist here before.
After graduation, Robert connected with Yates Construction at an AWS job fair and later received a full-time job offer.
But that full circle moment actually came a few months later, when he returned to speak to new AWS Information Infrastructure Pre-Apprenticeship participants.
He left those students with this advice. “Just persevere, be curious, and be persistent,” urged Burgess. “Consider all options, because you never know what something might lead into.”
