Amazon creates £2.5m apprenticeship fund

It has created an Amazon Apprenticeship Fund to help small businesses across England take on apprentices through the levy transfer scheme.

The £2.5 million investment is creating roles in digital marketing, business administration, visual effects, broadcast and media and cyber security.

Earlier this year, Amazon announced 1,000 new apprenticeship roles in 2021 within the company, including 100 degree-level apprenticeships which pay up to £30,000 a year, and more than 500 apprenticeships for existing Amazon employees.

Amazon Web Services customers who take on AWS re/Start graduates, smaller creative industry partners and small businesses who sell on Amazon’s stores will be able to take on apprentices with the training funded by Amazon.

Amazon, which has one of its giant fulfilment centres at Rugeley, is working with a number of local authorities who will serve as a transfer partner for small businesses, including the West Midlands Combined Authority.

It will work directly with small businesses selling on Amazon to help boost their productivity, sales, exports and marketing skills by taking on apprentices who will undertake training in these areas. Lasting between 12-48 months, and covering apprenticeship standards funding of up to £27,000, apprentices will receive a mix of on-the-job and classroom training, together with specialist online learning provided by Amazon which covers how to build a successful e-commerce business, how to market and advertise products to customers, and how to sell to a global customer base.

Amazon has set aside £1 million over two years within the Apprenticeship Fund specifically to support apprenticeship roles in the creative industries, including across the filmand TV sectors, music and publishing.

We are proud to be creating new opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds across England to gain skills through the Amazon Apprenticeship Fund,” said John Boumphrey, UKcountry manager at Amazon.

“We are committed to supporting the UK’s economic recovery post-Covid, and this fund will give our partners, customers and small businesses in the Amazon ecosystem the opportunity to take on talented apprentices who will help those organisations grow.”

Amazon is encouraging small businesses in the creative industries, together with AWS customers, small businesses selling on Amazon and local authorities who are interested in supporting new apprenticeship roles to contact apprenticeshipfund@amazon.com where they will be put in touch with a member of the Amazon apprenticeships team.