Amazon to create new full-time apprentices in Scotland

Amazon announced plans today to create over 1,000 full-time apprenticeship roles in the UK over the next two years, with over 30 available in Scotland. Applications are open from the first week of March.

In Scotland, the new apprentices will join over 2,500 permanent employees currently in Scotland and 27,500 in the UK, with pay ranging from an entry level starting salary of £9.50/£10.50 an hour, up to £30,000 a year.

Once qualified, apprentices will work across Amazon’s UK corporate and operations sites, including the company’s UK head office and three development centres in Edinburgh, Cambridge and London where teams work on innovations including Alexa, machine learning, Prime Video, Prime Air and Amazon’s technologically advanced fulfilment centres.

Nine different programmes lasting between 13 months and four years will be on offer across the country to people of all levels, ranging from IT, safety and HR through to software engineering, robotics, leadership and technology. In addition to being fully-funded, apprentices also receive industry-leading benefits including competitive pay, employee discounts, private medical insurance and company pension plan.

Over 90 new Amazon bachelors and masters degree-level apprentices will also be available over the next two years as part of the programme, focused on software development engineering, senior leadership and automation with both in-work and in-classroom training.

Two-in-every-ten new apprenticeships will be offered exclusively to Amazon’s existing workforce, providing a route from working on the shop floor through to working on cutting-edge software development, robotics technology and senior leadership roles in the business. Apprenticeships exclusively for Amazon employees range from a Senior Leaders masters degree apprenticeship, through to HR Consultant; Safety, Health and Environment Technician and Team Leader/Supervisor.

“We want to give people opportunities to succeed in the digital age, regardless of their background,” added Doug Gurr, UK Country Manager, Amazon. “Our fully-funded apprenticeship programme, from entry level through to degree level, will provide an exciting path to becoming Amazon’s future team leaders, engineers and innovation drivers.”

The one thousand new apprentices will add to over 300 already working at Amazon.

Norman Quigg, aged 43, from Kirkcaldy is an Operations Apprentice working at Amazon in Dunfermline. He started his apprenticeship with Amazon in 2018 and is working towards a qualification to become an Operations Team leader after two years of training and study.

Speaking about the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme, Norman said: ““My apprenticeship sees me work in a really varied and interesting role. I work in the fulfilment centre with different departments, learning how they operate and helping them achieve their daily goals. It’s fantastic to see the movement of products through the site, from the moment they arrive and the process by which they get shipped to our customers. There’s so much to learn and experience here and I’m loving my apprenticeship. I’ve really enjoyed getting a deep understanding of how Amazon works. There are so many different opportunities here – opportunities that I wouldn’t get elsewhere – and that’s been brilliant for me.”

Speaking on what he did before starting his apprenticeship, Norman said: “I was working at Amazon in another role and I had a real desire to move up the ladder as they say – to improve myself. I took part in the first ever Leadership Activities course at Amazon in Dunfermline and it was at this point that I became aware of the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme and I decided to apply.”

Applications will open for Amazon’s apprenticeship programme from 4th March. For more information, visit: https://www.amazon.jobs/apprentices.