9 free skills training programs that help Amazon employees land higher-paying roles

Amazon Technical Apprenticeship is a program certified by the U.S. Department of Labor that offers paid and intensive classroom training along with apprenticeships with Amazon.

Providing a combination of immersive learning and on-the-job training, the Amazon Apprenticeship program has already created paths to technical jobs for hundreds of candidates working to break into technical professions including cloud support associate, data technician, and software development engineer.

AWS Grow Our Own Talent offers on-the-job training and job placement opportunities to Amazon employees and entry-level candidates with non-traditional backgrounds.

The training will help employees pursue roles to innovate within Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers and safely deliver high-quality cloud computing services to customers. Participating employees are hired into roles such as data center technicians and data center engineering operations technicians, and complete in-person, on-the-job training for up to six months.

AWS Intelligence Initiative is a program that develops operational talent to gain the technical skills and security clearance needed to work in Amazon Dedicated Cloud (ADC) regions.

The program allows participants to work on impactful technologies they are passionate about, while facilitating the expansion of ADC across the globe.

AWS Training and Certification is a dedicated business in AWS that equips organizations and learners of all skill levels, roles, and backgrounds with the knowledge and practical skills to innovate in the AWS Cloud. AWS Training and Certification offers more than 600 free digital trainings on AWS Skill Builder, our digital learning center. Amazon employees can also take advantage of AWS Skill Builder subscription content, instructor-led AWS classroom training, AWS Certification exam preparation resources, and experiential and game-based learning, at no cost. AWS Tech U is a 48-week residency program designed to help a select group of new AWS employees develop technical expertise in the AWS Cloud to launch a successful cloud career. Residents participate in project-based learning, creative real-world problem solving, and on-the-job training. Additionally, AWS Educate is a free online training site for beginners just getting started learning cloud computing with self-paced courses, badges, and hands-on labs.

Career Choice is Amazon’s pre-paid tuition program for operations employees looking to further their education.

Amazon will pre-pay college tuition at hundreds of education partners across the country. In addition to funding associate and bachelor’s degrees, Amazon’s Career Choice will also fund high school completion, GED’s, and ESL proficiency certifications. Since launching Career Choice in 2012, over 130,000 Amazon employees across 14 countries worldwide have received training for high-demand occupations including aircraft mechanics, computer-aided designers, commercial truck drivers, medical assistants, nurses, and more.

MLU is an initiative that helps Amazon employees with a background in technology and coding gain skills in machine learning.

As machine learning plays an increasingly important role in customer innovation, MLU helps employees learn core skills to propel their career growth—skills that are often learned only in higher education. Divided into six-week modules, the program requires only half to one full day of participation a week. MLU is taught by more than 400 Amazon Machine Learning scientists who are passionate about furthering skills in the field. Originally launched as a small cohort, the program is on course to train thousands of employees.

Read "It's not magic. It's math." to learn more about MLU.

The Mechatronics and Robotics Apprenticeship Program gives employees the opportunity to learn skills and technical knowledge needed to fulfill a technical maintenance role.

The program, which is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, helps employees increase their wages up to nearly 40% at the end of the first phase. For apprentices who are selected for and complete the second phase, the average wage can increase by up to another 48%.

Surge2IT is designed to help entry-level IT employees across Amazon’s operations network pursue careers in higher-paying technical roles through self-paced learning resources.

The course helps employees develop necessary skills to advance their career in the information technology field, including supporting the Amazon Robotics picking and stowing technology. Participants who move up at Amazon can make an additional $10,000 a year.

The UXDR Apprenticeship program combines instructor-led training and real-world experience in a one-year program that offers employees the opportunity to learn and develop skills in research and design on teams across Amazon, including Prime Video, Alexa, AWS, and Amazon Fashion.

Graduates are ready for jobs that help improve the experience of Amazon customers, from making payments easier on Amazon sites to designing features that make devices more accessible.