Amazon to create 10,000 UK jobs this year
Amazon today announced that it would create 10,000 new jobs in the UK in 2021 as the online giant expands its workforce in the country.
It said that it would also invest £10m over three years to train up 5,000 of its staff using its “Career Choice” programme.
The firm has partnered with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) to make sure that it is training people to fill local skills shortages.
The hiring spree will take Amazon’s workforce in the UK to 55,000 people in total. The new jobs include roles at its corporate offices, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and operations network.
Corporate roles will be available in offices in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Cambridge across a wide range of fields including fashion, digital marketing, engineering, video production, software development, and cloud computing.
In operations, Amazon will open a parcel receive centre and four new fulfilment centres, as well as expanding its delivery station network, creating thousands of new permanent roles.
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng hailed the programme, saying: “Amazon’s announcement today is fantastic news and a huge vote of confidence in the British economy, helping us deliver on our commitment to level up across the UK with a whopping 10,000 new permanent jobs.
“As we build back better from the pandemic, this is a prime investment in our retail sector.
“Over the past year, Amazon’s workforce have pulled out all the stops to ensure consumers have had safe access to goods during this challenging time. Their latest investment will open up a wide range of opportunities for even more workers, helping to develop the skills needed to power tomorrow’s economy.”
The firm has already announced that it will create 1,000 apprenticeships in the UK this year alone.