Jeff Bezos is 'particularly proud' of this Amazon employee benefit that helps workers go back to school (2024)

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is very proud, in fact he is 'particularly proud' of a unique benefit that the company provides to its employees: the chance to go back to school and learn some in-demand skills for the workplace.

With, Amazon Career Choice, Amazon pre-pays 95 percent of up to $12,000 in tuition, fees, and textbooks for its hourly associates looking to earn certificates or associate degrees in high-demand occupations such as aircraft mechanics, computer-aided design, machine tool technologies, medical lab technologies, and nursing.

Bezos noted this program as a point of pride in his closely watched annual letter to shareholders, released on Wednesday, where he wrote that the company funds education in the areas regardless of whether they are related to the employee's current operations.

Training and educating workers, particular those who are not full-time, has become a key topic and area of investment for major corporations.

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Disney recently announced an $50 million education initiative that will be available to the company's 88,000 hourly employees. The company cited the 2018 tax reform bill as motivation for the initiative and said that participants in their program can pursue "qualifying higher education or vocational training" that are outside the scope of their current responsibility.

AT&T is retraining hundreds of thousands of workers as part of a $1 billion investment to prepare them for the future.

Education technology company Coursera announced a partnership this year with Alphabet's Google to train IT professionals, with Google granting 10,000 scholarships to Coursera's online program to help meet the growing demand for tech support specialists.

A focus from Amazon on educating lower-level employees is not too surprising when considering this salary tidbit: the median worker compensation at Amazon is a little over $28,000, according to a Bloomberg report.

Amazon's Career Choice, which launched in 2012 and is live in 10 countries, will expand to South Africa, Costa Rica, and Slovakia later this year. More than 16,000 associates have joined since its inception with roughly three-fourths of the employees residing in the U.S. Commercial truck driving, health care, and information technology are the program's most popular fields of study, Bezos noted in the letter.

There are already 39 Career Choice classrooms within Amazon facilities and Bezos wants to create even more demand within the company for ongoing education. The tech mogul has located the classrooms behind glass walls in high traffic areas so workers can "be inspired by seeing their peers pursue new skills."

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Jeff Bezos is 'particularly proud' of this Amazon employee benefit that helps workers go back to school (2024)

FAQs

Jeff Bezos is 'particularly proud' of this Amazon employee benefit that helps workers go back to school? ›

Jeff Bezos is 'particularly proud' of this Amazon employee benefit that helps workers go back to school. Amazon Career Choice is a program that pre-pays for up to $12,000 in education expenses of employees seeking certificates or associate degrees within in-demand skill areas.

What benefits does Amazon provide to its employees? ›

In addition to fair pay, employees have opportunities to own Amazon stock, participate in 401(k) plans with company match, and enroll in paid life and accident insurance. Financial counseling and estate planning services are also available, plus paid short-term and long-term disability if needed.

How does Jeff Bezos motivate his employees? ›

By focusing on what customers want, splitting his workers into small groups, and encouraging them to compete in a friendly way, he motivates them to do their best. Bezos's mix of high standards and creative leadership has turned Amazon into a huge online store and tech company.

What has Jeff Bezos said about Amazon? ›

In 2018, Bezos shared a similar sentiment, discussing the “inevitable” death of Amazon, saying during an all-hands that “Amazon will go bankrupt” someday.

What was Jeff Bezos strategy for Amazon? ›

He argued that a solid commercial strategy should be rooted in the things that endure over time. Amazon, under Bezos' leadership, exemplifies this approach by understanding and catering to customers' fundamental desires—low prices, fast delivery, and a vast selection of products.

Who has benefited from Amazon? ›

Beyond our own workforce, Amazon's investments have supported nearly 1.6 million indirect jobs in fields like construction and hospitality. We also actively work to help communities by responding to the urgent needs of reducing hunger and homelessness and investing in education for children and young adults.

Does Amazon help pay for college? ›

Amazon partners with Northern California colleges to provide employees free tuition. Employees will be able to accept free tuition from Sacramento City College, CSU Stanislaus, CSU Fresno, Modesto Junior College and Clovis Community College.

How did Jeff Bezos make Amazon so successful? ›

In practice, that means putting customers first is the guideline for every business decision. Bezos describes his deep respect for Amazon's customers, how their needs drive the business to constantly improve, and how customer focus dictates Amazon's expansion into new territories and markets.

Why was Jeff Bezos successful with Amazon? ›

Central to Amazon's success is Bezos's unwavering focus on customer satisfaction. He's known for saying, "Start with the customer and work backward." This philosophy is entrenched in Amazon's DNA, from its easy returns policy to its relentless pursuit of reducing delivery times.

How did Jeff Bezos help people? ›

Since Amazon went public in 1997, Bezos has given away about $4.7 billion worth of Amazon shares and sold $27 billion worth of the company's stock; some of his gifts of shares may have gone to donor-advised funds–essentially charitable giving accounts that provide generous tax deductions.

What is Jeff Bezos most proud of? ›

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is very proud, in fact he is 'particularly proud' of a unique benefit that the company provides to its employees: the chance to go back to school and learn some in-demand skills for the workplace.

Why is Jeff Bezos inspirational? ›

He started Amazon in 1994, as an online bookstore. But it quickly expanded to sell a wide variety of products. Bezos was one of the first entrepreneurs to recognize the potential of the internet. Amazon has faced many challenges over the years, but it has always emerged stronger.

What is most important to Jeff Bezos? ›

There is Nothing More Important than the Customer

In most (if not all) businesses you have to understand that the customer is always right. Well Bezos has focused on this theory to an extreme level.

Does Jeff Bezos own Amazon? ›

Jeff Bezos: Owns 937,774,000 Amazon shares, or 9.02% of shares outstanding. Amazon's founder, executive chairman, and former CEO remains its largest stakeholder, with his stake in Amazon worth about $166 billion. Bezos gifted around $240 million worth of Amazon shares in 2023.

Do Amazon employees get free Prime? ›

Other benefits include paid time off, including vacation and sick leave, as well as parental leave and adoption assistance. Amazon also offers a range of employee discounts and perks, including discounts on Amazon products, free access to Amazon Prime, and discounted gym memberships.

Does Amazon give bonus to employees? ›

Types of jobs and sites at Amazon

These roles can be the start of a long-term career inside or outside the company, and we offer signing bonuses between $1,000 and $3,000 in select locations.

How much discount do Amazon employees get? ›

Employee Discounts

Amazon.com Discount Code for 10% discount off Amazon merchandise, up to $100 per year. Employee discount program for a variety of goods and services such as travel, event tickets, cell phone services, restaurants, entertainment, sports, and more.

Does Amazon provide food for employees? ›

Amazon and Apple both bucked the Silicon Valley trend of providing employees with free food. And now that California localities have begun introducing legislation meant to curtail free meals and boost local eateries, we might see more tech giants beginning to follow suit.

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