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In the middle layoff news and union tug-of-war, Amazon is pushing ahead with workplace learning and development programs. Titled “Upskilling 2025”, Amazon’s leadership designed the program to assist talent in developing “required skills and propel them into new careers”. The initiative was launched in 2019, and houses its Career Choice prepaid tuition program and Technical Academy helping non-technical workers transition to software engineering.
Some high-level technology training: For example, corporate User Experience Design and Research the internship program covers the finance and retail departments, and touches on Prime Video and Alexa. Other L&D initiatives such as the Grow Our Own Talent program address entry-level talent “from non-traditional backgrounds”.
There’s also a program for talent in the middle: Amazon partnered with the US Department of Labor on a robotics program that aims to increase worker wages by up to 40% in phase one and up to 88% in phase two.
Amazon’s talent strategy is so imperfect, critics and employees say, but its L&D offering remains noteworthy. For the second year in a row, LinkedIn named the retail and technology company the no. 1”the best workplace to develop your careerin the US In early 2022, Amazon is providing free tuition to 750,000 hourly employees and free ESL classes. Later in the year, e-commerce retailer add tutoring services and a digital push for its educational offerings.
L&D facilitators and operations professionals can read Amazon’s book asking themselves, “How can our training program benefit our current workers? And what skills can prepare them for future careers?’”
Smaller research firms and the Bureau of Labor Statistics agree that technology skills are in increasing demand in the US BLS identifies “software developer” as one of the top three categories of new jobs created from 2021 to 2031. This is a niche that will add about 370,600 jobs over the next decade, predicts the BLS.
Similarly, the labor bureau identified wind turbine service technicians, data scientists, information security analysts and statisticians in its top 10 projections. fastest growing jobs in the US towards 2031.
More than simply creating a talent incubator or springboard for the inevitable exit, HR may be able to seriously strengthen its talent pipeline in L&D. A Gallup study, commissioned by Amazon and published in it latest Upskilling 2025 report, suggesting that 57% of Americans are “very” or “very” interested in updating their skills. Similarly, in the group of workers interested in upskilling, 69% told Gallup they were “very” or “very” likely to “leave their jobs for upskilling opportunities provided by other employers”.
Beyond that study, the Society for Human Resource Management report confirms that, second only to paying, lack of career development and progress has driven talent turnover. Throughout 2022, HR pros tell Willis Towers Watson and other research firms that prioritize reskilling and upskilling retention, attractiveness and cost-cutting strategies.
Together, the studies suggest investing in technology skills upgrading and developing a solid program today can help organizations and talent in the long term.
