Amazon.com is supporting employee education by pre-paying 100 per cent of tuition, up to a yearly maximum, for college programs offered through its Career Choice program.
Employees will no longer pay a five per cent contribution to tuition costs and the company has also expedited the eligibility period for employees to participate in the program from one year of employment to 90 days.
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This enhancement was made following worker feedback on the program, says Tammy Thieman, global director of Career Choice.
“We spend a lot of time listening to our employees and trying to identify how we can better support them. . . . [With Career Choice] we want to make sure that we’re removing whatever barriers exist for people to participate and based on data, we know finances can be a significant barrier.”
Employees enrolled in Career Choice can pursue a certificate or diploma in qualified fields of study. Eighteen educational institutions across Canada are partnered with Career Choice, including Algonquin College, Sheridan College, the Toronto Truck Driving School and Western Community College.
Since Career Choice launched in 2014, close to 12,000 employees in Canada have participated in the program, says Thieman, noting the most popular programs among employees include cybersecurity, data analytics and truck driving.
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“We’re investing in career fields that are needed in Canada and that people can get really excited about. . . . There’s no need for them to stay with us after they complete [the program], so they can grow with us — and we’re excited about continuing to offer them opportunities — but there may be opportunities outside the organization that are better suited to them.”
As the company prepares to hire more than 7,000 employees in seasonal roles across its Canadian operations, it’s also increasing its average hourly base wage in Canada to $24.50 — up from $23.50 in 2024 — and is giving eligible frontline employees Prime memberships at no additional cost after 90 days of employment starting by the end of 2025.
These enhancements, along with the changes to the Career Choice program, are part of a wider financial wellness strategy at the online retailer.
“We offer strong benefits for our employees and when we invest in people’s career skills, then obviously it’s going to give them greater earning opportunity,” she said. “When you have greater earning opportunity, obviously that builds right into financial wellness.”