Technology company Amazon will be creating more than 10,000 new permanent jobs in 2021. With this addition, the company will strengthen its workforce to 55,000 people by the end of the year.
The new permanent jobs will 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.
The company 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.
The company stated it 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.
The company is joining hands with British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and local businesses to identify regional skills shortages and focus training on local demand.
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.
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.
To date, Amazon has created more than 40,000 jobs and invested over £23 billion in its UK operations since 2010.