Great Britain: Amazon creates 1,500 apprenticeship position contracts

On 02 February 2022, the American online retail giant announced the creation of 40 apprenticeship schemes in its UK subsidiary, which currently employs 70,000. Delivered across all of Amazon’s different types of sites (warehouse depots, headquarters, distribution centres, etc.), these 1,500 training courses will be available in several businesses, including publishing, sales, marketing, engineering, and health and safety. A scheme will also be dedicated to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. “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,” said John Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon. He said the programme would provide “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.” In terms of details, more than 200 apprenticeship contracts will provide degree-level training, while more than 500 will be specifically offered to existing employees who want to retrain. Salaries paid to apprentices will range from a minimum of £10 per hour (€11.84) to a maximum of £32,000 per year (€37,900) for degree-level apprenticeships. The US giant currently already has 1,000 apprentices in training in the UK, and a further 500 have successfully completed their apprenticeships.