Apprentice recommends Amazon programme

Michael Walker, from Burntwood, applied for the Amazon HR Support apprenticeship after being made redundant from his job in retail management, a career he had built over a period of 20 years.

He now works at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Rugeley.

The new positions offered by the firm will be based across the UK in 2022 and include over 200 degree-level apprenticeships.

Recruitment has now started for more than 40 different schemes, from engineering to broadcast production, creative digital design to warehouse team leaders and health, safety and environment technicians. The range of different apprenticeship schemes reflect Amazon’s diverse workforce and the communities we serve every day across the UK.

This year, Amazon is also launching a new apprenticeship programme focusing on environmental, social and corporate governance, giving apprentices the opportunity to gain real world sustainability experience. Additionally, there will be new apprenticeship schemes available including publishing, retailing, marketing and many more.

More than 500 new apprenticeships will be offered to existing employees that want to retrain and gain new skills for an exciting new career path. Amazon will also be working with Forces Families Jobs in 2022 to provide apprenticeship opportunities to military families.

There are over 1,000 apprentices currently taking part in Amazon’s apprenticeship programme. More than 500 Amazon employees have already completed apprenticeships and gone on to build successful careers within the company.

When deciding he wanted a new challenge, Michael decided to apply for the Amazon apprenticeship to build on the people skills he had gained throughout his time in retail. He hopes to continue progressing in his career at Amazon once he completes the apprenticeship later this year.

Michael said: “If you’re thinking about applying for an apprenticeship at Amazon, then you’ve made the first step to making an excellent career change. The expectations I had of the programme have been completely surpassed – the people I’ve met and the opportunities available to me now are amazing.”

Amazon provides competitive pay, comprehensive benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment for its employees. The roles pay a minimum of £10 or £11.10 per hour depending on location, and up to £32,000 a year for degree-level apprenticeships. Apprentices also receive a benefits package that includes private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, and an employee discount – which combined are worth more than £700 annually – as well as a company pension plan.

The 1,500 new apprenticeships highlight Amazon’s ongoing commitment to creating jobs and providing opportunities for training and upskilling across the UK. Once qualified, apprentices will have the opportunity to work across Amazon’s UK sites including fulfilment centres, delivery stations, sortation centres and the company’s UK head offices in London and Manchester and the three development centres in Edinburgh, Cambridge and London.

John Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon, said: “We are very proud to be providing opportunities for upskilling and retraining for people of all ages, at all stages of their careers, helping to address skills gaps and increase social mobility.

“After the success of last year’s programme, we are pleased to be expanding to new regions across the UK and in new disciplines like corporate responsibility and sustainability. Amidst a backdrop of skills shortages across the country, apprenticeships are key to equipping people with the skills they need to progress in the modern labour market.”

Amazon also announced that it grew its permanent UK workforce by 25,000 in 2021. The company now has more than 70,000 employees in the UK, with the additional roles confirmed today in a variety of corporate and R&D functions in Amazon and Amazon Web Services (AWS), including software development, product management, and engineering, as well as the operations teams in our fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations across the UK.

Amazon employees can also take advantage of Amazon’s pioneering Career Choice programme, which pre-pays 95 per cent of tuition for courses in high-demand fields, up to £8,000 over four years, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.

Amazon also provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as cross-training, transferring to a different department and promotion into a managerial role.

Amazon has invested over £32 billion in the UK since 2010 to provide convenience, selection and value to UK consumers, while supporting tens of thousands of businesses and creative professionals including small businesses selling on Amazon’s online stores, Amazon Web Services developers and Kindle Direct Publishing authors.

A series of webinars will also take place during National Apprenticeship Week. Register at Amazon webinars

Applications are now open for Amazon’s apprenticeship programme. For more information, visit: amazonapprenticeships.co.uk