A note-worthy aspect of this program is education as groundwork for career advancement. The three categories by which Amazon organizes Career Choice are foundations (ESL classes), pathways (job training) and college (credit or a full degree). Through the pathways track, for example, Amazon seeks to upskill its employees for another job – be it within the company or elsewhere.
Similarly in its language announcing Upskilling 2025, Amazon aims to position its roles as career stepping stones: workers “learn critical skills to move into in-demand, higher-paying technical or non-technical roles within Amazon and beyond.”
Based on publicly available materials, Career Choice seems to be widely accessible. The program is available to all hourly employees who have worked 90 days or more for the company. Their education can be funded “as long as they remain at the company, with no limit to the number of years they can benefit.” Amazon said it has built more than 100 onsite classrooms due to demand.
The retailer has also extended its offerings worldwide: the Career Choice program pays up to 95% of tuition and fees for hourly employees in 13 markets (Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, the UK, Spain, Poland, South Africa and Slovakia.)
Amazon’s L&D initiatives mirror those of its peers, such as Intel. In partnership with Dell Technologies, Intel expanded its AI for Workforce program in 2021 to offer community college students the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge relevant to the tech frontier, including coding, data collection and AI ethics.
Speaking about Career Choice in a press release, Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, said the program’s expansion is “great news for nontraditional learners.”
“Higher education is our nation’s most powerful engine of social and economic mobility, and this initiative will both expand access to postsecondary education and increase the number of learners who succeed in completing their degrees,” he said.
Follow Caroline Colvin on Twitter
Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts
Topics covered: HR management, compensation & benefits, development, HR tech, recruiting and much more.
Employers need to have the right mindset if they want to attempt an audit, and will want to consider involving counsel early on, Epstein Becker Green's Robert O'Hara said.
Photo by SHVETS production from Pexels
Remote work became ubiqutous overnight when the coronavirus pandemic took hold, but HR professionals find themselves still working to cope with that shift's effects.
Subscribe to HR Dive for top news, trends & analysis
Topics covered: HR management, compensation & benefits, development, HR tech, recruiting and much more.
Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts
Topics covered: HR management, compensation & benefits, development, HR tech, recruiting and much more.
Want to share a company announcement with your peers?
Get started ➔
Employers need to have the right mindset if they want to attempt an audit, and will want to consider involving counsel early on, Epstein Becker Green's Robert O'Hara said.
Photo by SHVETS production from Pexels
Remote work became ubiqutous overnight when the coronavirus pandemic took hold, but HR professionals find themselves still working to cope with that shift's effects.
The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines
Topics covered: HR management, compensation & benefits, development, HR tech, recruiting and much more.
