Amazon to Create Over 1,000 Full-Time Apprentice Roles in UK

Amazon announced plans today to create over 1,000 full-time apprenticeship roles in the UK over the next two years, with applications open from the first week of March. The new apprentices will add to over 27,500 permanent employees currently in the UK, with pay ranging from an entry level starting salary of £9.50/£10.50 an hour, up to £30,000 a year.

Once qualified, apprentices will have the potential to work across Amazon’s UK corporate and operations sites, including the company’s UK head office and three development centres in Edinburgh, Cambridge and London where teams work on innovations including Alexa, machine learning, Prime Video, Prime Air and Amazon’s technologically advanced fulfilment centres.

Nine different programmes lasting between 13 months and four years will be on offer across the country to people of all levels, ranging from IT, safety and HR through to software engineering, robotics, leadership and technology. In addition to being fully-funded, apprentices also receive industry-leading benefits including competitive pay, employee discounts, private medical insurance and company pension plan.

Over 90 new Amazon bachelors and masters degree-level apprentices will also be available over the next two years as part of the programme, focused on software development engineering, senior leadership and automation with both in-work and in-classroom training.

Two-in-every-ten new apprenticeships will be offered exclusively to Amazon’s existing workforce, providing a route from working on the shop floor through to working on cutting-edge software development, robotics technology and senior leadership roles in the business. Apprenticeships exclusively for Amazon employees range from a Senior Leaders masters degree apprenticeship, through to HR Consultant; Safety, Health and Environment Technician and Team Leader/Supervisor.

“We want to give people opportunities to succeed in the digital age, regardless of their background,” added Doug Gurr, UK Country Manager, Amazon. “Our fully-funded apprenticeship programme, from entry level through to degree level, will provide an exciting path to becoming Amazon’s future team leaders, engineers and innovation drivers.”

The one thousand new apprentices will add to over 300 already working at Amazon. One apprentice is Nicola Elliott, a second-year automation engineering degree-level apprentice based at Amazon’s Bolton Fulfilment Centre. Originally from Northern Ireland, Nicola previously studied nursing, but had to leave at the end of her second year due to illness. During this time, she decided she wanted to change careers and pursue a career in engineering. Before securing an Amazon apprenticeship, she studied an HNC in engineering systems full time whilst working a part time job.

“Despite starting in nursing, I’ve always had a fascination with how things work and engineering was always my true passion. However, I didn’t want to be burdened with the costs of studying at university – I wanted to work full time. The Amazon apprenticeship programme has been life-changing, resulting in an engineering degree at one of the world’s most renowned companies for driving innovation. There are huge opportunities here when I complete my apprenticeship to be able to move around the world or within different divisions at Amazon.”

Source : Insight DIY Team and Amazon Press Release

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