I lead Amazon’s Emerging Talent Pipelines—here’s why apprenticeships and on-the-job training programs work

Every year, industries and businesses around the country recognize National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) as a celebration of the value of apprenticeships, which positively impact the economy, advance diversity and equity in technical and nontechnical industries, and support underserved communities. We know the value of these programs first-hand for employees, our business, and the communities in which we operate.

Apprenticeships help prepare employees for the jobs of the future, and offer them a variety of ways to develop their professional skills, grow their careers, and advance in their roles. They also help us train employees and provide them opportunities to move into the roles we need to run our businesses. And we are supporting the communities in which we operate by offering graduates higher-paying jobs in our offices and at sites.

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I initially launched apprenticeships in AWS to recruit military veterans to Amazon and build a pathway to teach them the skills they needed for technical roles. What started as a niche recruiting and training program six years ago has grown into various programs and pathways across our business. Today, as part of our Upskilling 2025 pledge, employees have access to paid apprenticeships to learn the skills needed for technical and nontechnical roles through these rotational training programs. We offer employees apprenticeships through the Amazon Technical Apprenticeship Program (ATAP) and the User Experience Design and Research (UXDR) Apprenticeship—the programs I lead—and a Mechatronics and Robotics Apprenticeship (MRA) program.

This year, timed to coincide with NAW, Amazon is announcing our 1,000^th apprentice conversion, meaning someone who participated in the program and moved into a full-time role within the company—a milestone of which I am very proud. Since the programs launched, we have had more than 3,500 Amazon employees participate in a paid apprenticeship, with hundreds currently in the various programs. As part of our apprenticeships, we also offer opportunities for employees to participate in our programs and move into full-time positions with one of our third-party hiring partners.

Apprentices are paid, full-time employees and typically transition into full-time roles upon completion of their programs and attaining required certifications. For example, our MRA program currently maintains a 100% conversion rate into job placement after completion and a retention rate of over 95% for Amazon employees placed through the program—meaning that of every one placed at Amazon since the program began in 2020, 95% are still Amazon employees.

Clint Daguplo started as a seasonal associate in July 2020, but he always had a passion for robotics. He decided to participate in the MRA program. “The apprenticeship program was great because I was able to earn the certifications needed for a job in robotics, while being paid during the learning and on-the-job training. Throughout the program, I was able to learn about the different opportunities Amazon offers to grow your career and to grow as a person.” After completing the MRA program, Clint landed a role as a Control Systems Technician on the Reliability and Maintenance Engineering team at an Amazon robotics site in Seattle.

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The work we do with our apprenticeships enables us to empower more Amazon employees, like Clint, to pursue their dreams and build careers. We offer opportunities for more underrepresented groups such as veterans or employees from diverse backgrounds to learn the skills they need to land highly competitive tech roles, even without any prior technical background. We have a vast partner network that helps us continually evaluate the skills we teach, the roles we hire for, and the hiring bar we aim to exceed with each apprentice.

For our employees, the programs offer opportunities to learn the skills needed to succeed in these industries and earn the certifications to start working with  teams. For some of our apprenticeships, we also offer the necessary on-the-job learning hours and professional development through team networking and mentorship. In addition to being paid throughout the program, our participants also have access to Amazon benefits including healthcare on their first day.

At last year’s official National Apprenticeship Week, Amazon celebrated our fifth anniversary as a U.S. Apprenticeship provider, meaning our apprenticeships are recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. We also work with education and hiring partners to ensure the programs are teaching the skillsets needed for our workforce and the industry at large. For ATAP, we partner with Apprenti to administer our program and coordinate with training providers.

We also partner with organizations like The Learning Group and Amazon’s Tech U to provide specific training during the apprenticeship in areas such as coding, databases, security, and AWS services. ATAP has already created paths for hundreds of candidates working to break into technical professions, including positions as cloud support associates, data technicians, and software development engineers.

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“These programs not only equip individuals with essential skills and certifications but also cultivate a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and inclusivity. As we celebrate the remarkable achievement of the 1,000^th apprentice conversion at Amazon, we acknowledge that apprenticeships are far more than mere pathways to jobs. They serve as powerful catalysts for fostering long-term careers, propelling both personal growth and the broader advancement of the industry," said Jennifer Carlson, co-founder and executive director of Apprenti.

For the business, these types of programs offer opportunities to recruit and retain diverse talent and provide opportunities for economic mobility. Apprenticeships are a useful tool for recruiting and retaining talent within our workforce and ensuring our employees have the skills they need for the jobs of the future. For employees looking to break into these fields without a formalized apprenticeship program, we also offer through our Career Choice program pathways for technical and nontechnical roles, which include roles as robotics and data center technicians.

Since 2017, we have offered over 20 roles for apprentices to explore. Learn more about these programs and the opportunities available.