MICHIGAN, USA — Amazon announced Thursday that it is partnering with 140 universities and colleges across the nation to provide fully-funded college tuition to employees.
In Michigan, employees can choose to attend Eastern Michigan University, Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Valley State University, Henry Ford College or online universities partnering with Amazon.
The tuition is part of Amazon's Career Choice program, which gives the company's 750,000 hourly employees opportunities to advance their education.
“I’m excited to return to Grand Valley State University as an adult student,” said Mark Sessions, an employee at Amazon’s Grand Rapids Fulfillment Center. “I think that continued education is important to improving your life and career and once I learned about Amazon’s free college tuition, I decided take advantage of this great benefit today, so that I don’t have to wait any longer to go back to school.”
Employees are eligible to receive the full tuition after 90 days with Amazon, and employees can participate each year that they work for Amazon. Education can include pursuing a Bachelor's degree, earning industry certifications, high school completion programs and more.
To give employees flexibility with their education, classes can be taken online, in-person or in classrooms at fulfilment centers in 37 states.
“We’re committed to empowering our employees with easy access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere,” said Alicia Boler Davis, Senior Vice President of Global Customer Fulfillment. “We’re thrilled today to be adding more education partners to our Career Choice program, which we hope will give our team access to the educational paths that fit their passions. Whether someone is looking to build their English proficiency skills, prepare for GED testing, or earn their Bachelor’s degree, we’re working to meet our employees wherever they are on their educational journey.”
The Career Choice program launched in 2012 and has given more than 50,000 employees a higher education. Career Choice is one the free skills training and education programs that Amazon offers to its employees as part of its Upskilling 2025 pledge, which is a $1.2 billion commitment to upskilling Amazon employees.
To learn more about Career Choice, click here. Learn more about the upskilling pledge here.
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