Amazon announce 1,500 new apprenticeships for 2022

Amazon’s permanent UK workforce ballooned by 25,000 in 2021, and now they have announced the creation of 1,500 new apprenticeships in the UK in 2022. These 10s of 1000s of employees not only keep the marketplace running and powering small business sales, but also Amazon retail, Fulfilment and distribution, AWS and a host of other Amazon business units.

The expansion of the Amazon apprenticeship programme includes over 200 degree-level apprenticeships, reflecting Amazon’s diverse workforce and the communities the company serves. Recruitment for the 1,500 roles has now started for more than 40 different schemes, from engineering to health, safety and environment technicians.

Thirteen new apprenticeship schemes for 2022 include publishing, retailing, marketing, and a programme focused on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), giving apprentices the opportunity to gain real-world sustainability experience.

Amazon previously announced that it would create 10,000 roles last year to end 2021 with 55,000 permanent employees. The company now has more than 70,000 employees in the UK, with the additional 15,000 permanent jobs 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.

The company offers a diverse range of opportunities for people starting their career or returning to employment. According to new hires in Amazon fulfilment centres surveyed in 2021, more than half were previously out of work or joined directly from education.

Career potential was the top reason for joining Amazon, with 91% of employees surveyed saying that this was important in their decision to join the company. This was followed by 88% of employees stating Amazon’s competitive pay was a key factor, which starts at £10 to £11.10 per hour in the UK depending on the location, more than the UK’s National Living Wage. The third most important factor was Amazon’s benefits (79%), 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.

Amazon’s announcement is testament to the strength of the British economy, with GDP back at pre-pandemic levels, employee numbers at record highs and unemployment falling. With the vast majority of Amazon’s workforce located outside of London and the South East, these additional 25,000 jobs highlight the success of our Plan for Jobs in helping to ensure greater opportunities across the country.

– Business Secretary Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP

Apprenticeships give people the chance to earn while they learn and deliver the skilled workforce employers need to grow their business. There has never been a better time to do an apprenticeship, and it is fantastic to see top companies like Amazon offering 1,500 more people the opportunity to gain the skills they need to build a successful career.

– Minister for Skills Alex Burghart MP

We are proud to have created so many new permanent jobs across the UK in the last year, and the 1,500 apprenticeships we’re creating this year will help even more people get the skills that are in demand in today’s labour market. We want to be the employer that helps people take their careers to the next level, whether you’re just starting your first job or making a career change, in every community that we serve across the UK.

– John Boumphrey, Country Manager Amazon UK