Amazon announces 10,000 UK jobs and £10 million training investment

Amazon has announced that it will create more than 10,000 new permanent jobs in 2021, taking its total UK workforce to more than 55,000 people by the end of the year. In addition to this, Amazon will invest £10 million over three years to train up to 5,000 employees in new skills and support the government’s investment programme.

The training will be offered through Amazon’s Career Choice programme, which covers the course fees for Amazon employees interested in pursuing a future career outside of the company – an initiative that will grow the skills and employability of British workers.

We’re also partnering with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and local businesses to identify regional skills shortages and focus training on local demand – this will help meet the UK’s future employment needs outside of Amazon while strengthening the economy.

Amazon employees have great opportunities to progress their careers, whether through improving existing skills or promotion into a managerial role.

For those who see their future outside of Amazon, the Career Choice programme offers funding for adult education, pre-paying 95% of tuition and associated fees for nationally recognised courses up to £8,000 over four years. Courses available range from accountancy to HGV drivers and software developers and are designed to help employees pursue careers beyond Amazon if they wish to do so.

Accredited Chambers of Commerce will have the chance to work with Amazon to identify and combat regional skills shortages. We will offer classroom-based learning through Career Choice and explore opportunities with the Accredited Chamber of Commerce network to provide practical work experience and mentoring in employees’ chosen future professions.

The 10,000 new permanent jobs Amazon will create in the UK this year include roles at its corporate offices, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and operations network. Corporate roles will be available in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Cambridge across a wide range of fields from fashion, digital marketing, engineering, and video production to software development, cloud computing, AI, machine learning, and more.

In operations, we will open four new fulfilment centres: one will be located in Hinckley, East Midlands, creating 700 new permanent jobs this summer. The other three will be opening in Dartford, Gateshead, and Swindon, in addition to a parcel receive centre in Doncaster – each will create more than 1,300 permanent jobs later this year.

Amazon will also continue to expand its delivery station network, creating thousands of new permanent roles on teams including engineering, HR and IT, health and safety, finance, and those that pick, pack, and ship customer orders.

This adds to the 1,000 full-time apprenticeships we will create in the UK in 2021. Announced in February, the apprenticeships cover 25 different programmes ranging from IT, safety technician, and HR to software engineering and creative digital design. The scheme includes 100 degree-level apprenticeships and more than 500 apprenticeships for Amazon employees, giving individuals the opportunity to retrain and gain new skills.

Amazon provides some of the most advanced workplaces of their kind in the world, with competitive pay, processes, and systems to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all employees.

Pay for Operations roles starts at a minimum of £10.80 per hour in the London area and £9.70 per hour elsewhere in the UK for all full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal roles in our fulfilment centres, sort centres, and delivery stations. Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including 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.

Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said: "Amazon’s announcement today is fantastic news and a huge vote of confidence in the British economy, helping us deliver on our commitment to level up across the UK with a whopping 10,000 new permanent jobs. As we build back better from the pandemic, this is a prime investment in our retail sector.

“Over the past year, Amazon’s workforce have pulled out all the stops to ensure consumers have had safe access to goods during this challenging time. Their latest investment will open up a wide range of opportunities for even more workers, helping to develop the skills needed to power tomorrow’s economy.”

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “This is a great initiative that will not only help Amazon but also provide a much wider benefit to the community while showcasing how business can be a force for good. Providing staff with training to plug the skills gaps that exist within the local business community is going to be a key driver to increasing productivity and boosting the economy as the UK recovers from the pandemic.”

Amazon’s UK Country Manager John Boumphrey said: “We have always wanted to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, and we have also committed to being Earth’s Best Employer and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. We’re creating thousands of good jobs across the UK from a diverse range of roles with excellent pay and benefits. We’re also delighted to be working with the British Chambers of Commerce on a pioneering approach to our Career Choice programme to provide the training and skilled workers needed to boost local economies right across the country.

He added: “We’re proud of the front-line roles we offer across Amazon, and we also know that they will be a stepping stone for some in their career journey. For people whose ambitions fall outside of our company, we are pleased to support them by paying for training and academic courses that can get them to where they want to be.”

To date, Amazon has created more than 40,000 jobs and invested over £23 billion in its UK operations since 2010 to provide convenience, selection and value to UK consumers, while supporting tens of thousands of UK businesses and creative professionals including sellers, AWS developers and authors.

If you’re interested in applying for a permanent or seasonal role at Amazon, head to our Jobs site today.

We’ve also launched the first live virtual tours of our UK fulfilment centres for those who are curious about what happens behind the scenes when they click ‘buy’ on Amazon. To see the incredible technology and people at the heart of Amazon, register for a free virtual tour.

Find out more about jobs at Amazon.