Cloud Computing
WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS)
Occupation description and WSOS
The name of the skill competition is
Cloud Computing
Description of the associated work role(s) or occupation(s)
The field of cloud computing has evolved significantly, with new roles emerging to meet the growing demand for expertise in designing, implementing, and managing cloud-based solutions. Positions within this domain now encompass a broader range of responsibilities, including:
- Cloud Architect: Designs, implements, and manages the overall cloud solution architecture, utilizing existing machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) services. This role does not involve creating new AI or ML models. These architects are responsible for defining the cloud strategy, selecting appropriate cloud platforms, and ensuring that the cloud solution aligns with business goals.
- DevOps Engineer: Ensures efficient deployment and management of cloud infrastructure, automating processes and improving collaboration between development and operations teams. DevOps engineers play a crucial role in bridging the gap between development and IT operations, automating tasks like infrastructure provisioning, code deployment, and testing.
- Cloud Developer: Develops cloud-native applications and services, leveraging the scalability, flexibility, and on-demand nature of cloud platforms. Cloud developers specialize in building applications that are specifically designed for cloud environments, taking advantage of features like serverless computing, microservices, and containers.
- Cloud Security Engineer: Protects cloud environments from security threats, implementing measures to safeguard data, infrastructure, and applications. Cloud security engineers are responsible for identifying and mitigating security risks, ensuring compliance with industry regulations, and protecting sensitive data.
While traditional roles like Systems Administrators, Database Administrators, and Network Engineers still play important roles in cloud environments, the focus has shifted towards more specialized expertise. Cloud professionals now need to possess a deep understanding of cloud platforms and their capabilities.
Key responsibilities within cloud computing roles include:
- Designing and implementing cloud architectures: Creating scalable, reliable, and secure cloud solutions that align with business objectives.
- Managing cloud infrastructure: Overseeing the deployment, configuration, and maintenance of cloud resources, including virtual machines, storage, and networking components.
- Developing cloud-native applications: Building applications that are optimized for cloud environments, taking advantage of features like scalability, elasticity, and serverless computing.
- Ensuring cloud security: Implementing security best practices to protect cloud data, infrastructure, and applications from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other threats.
- Migrating workloads to the cloud: Planning and executing the migration of existing applications and data to cloud platforms.
- Optimizing cloud costs: Identifying and implementing strategies to reduce cloud spending while maintaining performance and reliability.
The WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS)
General notes on the WSOS
The WSOS specifies the knowledge, understanding, skills, and capabilities that underpin international best practice in technical and vocational performance. These are both specific to an occupational role and also transversal. Together they should reflect a shared global understanding of what the associated work role(s) or occupation(s) represent for industry and business (www.worldskills.org/WSOS).
The skill competition is intended to reflect international best practice as described by the WSOS, to the extent that it can. The Standard is therefore a guide to the required training and preparation for the skill competition.
In the skill competition the assessment of knowledge and understanding will take place through the assessment of performance. There will only be separate tests of knowledge and understanding where there is an overwhelming reason for these.
The Standard is divided into distinct sections with headings and reference numbers added.
Each section is assigned a percentage of the total marks to indicate its relative importance within the Standards. This is often referred to as the “weighting”. The sum of all the percentage marks is 100. The weightings determine the distribution of marks within the Marking Scheme.
Through the Test Project, the Marking Scheme will assess only those skills and capabilities that are set out in the WorldSkills Occupational Standards. They will reflect the Standards as comprehensively as possible within the constraints of the skill competition.
The Marking Scheme will follow the allocation of marks within the Standards to the extent practically possible. A variation of up to five percent is allowed, if this does not distort the weightings assigned by the Standards.
WorldSkills Occupational Standards
Section |
Relative importance (%) |
|
---|---|---|
1 |
Work organization and management |
10 |
The individual needs to know and understand:
|
The individual shall be able to:
|
|
2 |
Communication and interpersonal skills |
5 |
The individual needs to know and understand:
|
The individual shall be able to:
|
|
3 |
Problem solving, innovation, and creativity |
20 |
The individual needs to know and understand:
|
The individual shall be able to:
|
|
4 |
Cybersecurity |
20 |
The individual needs to know and understand:
|
The individual shall be able to:
|
|
5 |
Reliability, scalability, and elasticity |
15 |
The individual needs to know and understand:
|
The individual shall be able to:
|
|
6 |
Performance and optimization |
10 |
The individual needs to know and understand:
|
The individual shall be able to:
|
|
7 |
Operational considerations |
10 |
The individual needs to know and understand:
|
The individual shall be able to:
|
|
8 |
Sustainability |
10 |
The individual needs to know and understand:
|
The individual shall be able to:
|
|
Total | 100 |
References for industry consultation
General notes
WorldSkills is committed to ensuring that the WorldSkills Occupational Standards fully reflect the dynamism of internationally recognized best practice in industry and business. To do this WorldSkills approaches a number of organizations across the world that can offer feedback on the draft Description of the Associated Role and WorldSkills Occupational Standards on a two-yearly cycle.
In parallel to this, WSI consults three international occupational classifications and databases:
- ISCO-08: (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/isco08/)
- ESCO: (https://ec.europa.eu/esco/portal/home )
- O*NET OnLine (www.onetonline.org/)
References
Your WSOS (Section 2) appears most closely to relate to a junior version of IT System Architect:
http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/e1c72b5f-4c5c-487c-a6df-e84b64a51dae
or a junior version of Computer Network Architects:
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-1143.00
Junior version ILO 2511.
The following table indicates which organizations were approached and provided valuable feedback for the Description of the Associated Role and WorldSkills Occupational Standards in place for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
Organization |
Contact name |
---|---|
Amazon Web Services |
Ji Cheng, AWS Academy Technical Program Manager |
Devoteam | Nicolas Pellegrin, Consultant |
Eyelet, Inc. | Kazuki Goto, Executive Officer |
Microsoft | Dennis Chung, Chief Security Officer |
Shanghai iddeal information industry CO., LTD |
Yuqing Xu, Department Manager |
Trenocate Japan Ltd. | Jun Kubotamai, IT Trainer |
Last updated: 16.09.2025 04:21 (GMT)
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