Apprenticeship programs are technical education opportunities that allow workers to gain valuable on-the-job experience while getting hands-on instruction. Such programs are ideal for recent graduates applying for jobs that require a significant amount of experience.
Amazon is a multinational corporation that provides online retail shopping services. It has created many jobs around the world, including in the United States. Apprenticeships at Amazon are a great career move if you are a recent graduate interested in a hands-on experience that will help you transition into a career in tech.
The following article covers everything you need to know about Amazon’s apprenticeship programs, including current opportunities and compensation information.
Does Amazon Do Apprenticeships?
Yes, Amazon offers apprenticeship programs that employ young workers in a wide range of roles, from entry-level to more advanced positions. These opportunities provide a path for future leaders, engineers, and senior managers to develop their skills as they learn Amazon’s unique culture and job requirements.
Most of Amazon’s apprenticeship programs are available in the United Kingdom, with a few offered in the United States. Apprentices gain experience in different areas of the company, including fulfillment centers, sortation centers, delivery stations, and Amazon’s UK head offices in Manchester and London.
How Long Do Amazon Apprenticeships Last?
Amazon’s apprenticeships have different lengths, with some lasting 14 months and others taking about four years to complete. However, all programs combine theoretical learning with on-the-job training. This allows employees to earn a salary while they gain the necessary qualifications to start their careers.
Amazon Apprenticeship Salary
Amazon offers different apprenticeship programs and opportunities around the world, all of which come with different salaries. For instance, Amazon’s apprenticeship program in the United Kingdom starts at about £10.5 per hour. According to a rough estimate on Glassdoor, apprentices earn between $25,000 and $27,000 per year.
Amazon also offers employees comprehensive benefits packages that include private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, employee discounts on specific products, and subsidized meals. Fixed-term employees are even entitled to a company pension plan, and they have access to innovative education programs.
Does Amazon Do Internships?
Yes, Amazon has many internship opportunities, most of them designed for students completing their bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate. These opportunities help interns accelerate their career growth. Amazon offers internships in different fields, including business, research, technology, and engineering.
How Long Do Amazon Internships Last?
Regardless of location, Amazon’s internship programs typically last for about 12 to 16 weeks during the summer. Interns are usually tasked with specific projects, such as writing customer-facing content on Echo devices, creating real-time feedback systems, or building new features on the Amazon website.
Amazon Internship Salary
According to reports by former and current Amazon interns on Glassdoor, the average Amazon internship program pays about $74,572 per year. This figure also takes into account bonuses and other forms of compensation.
Amazon Apprenticeships and Internship Programs for 2021
The best apprenticeship for you depends on your background, qualifications, and career aspirations. No matter which of the following programs you apply for, you can expect to learn while you work and deliver innovations to Amazon’s customers.
Engineering and Manufacturing Apprenticeships
This apprenticeship is the ideal opportunity for students looking to start their careers in automation engineering maintenance and advanced mechatronics. These are full-time apprenticeships that take place at an Amazon Fulfilment Center.
User Experience Design and Research Apprenticeship
This apprenticeship allows students to work with Amazon professionals on an array of products, including designers, Alexa, Amazon Web Services, Prime Video, and Amazon Fashion. This is a full-time training program that runs for one year, after which students will be prepared for UX design and user research roles in the tech industry.
Amazon Military Apprenticeship
This apprenticeship caters to members of the military and their spouses. There are opportunities for aspiring data analysts, software engineers, and more. Programs range from 10 to 18 weeks in length. Most roles involve interfacing with customers to help them solve technical issues with Amazon’s products.
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AWS Cloud Consultant Apprenticeship
You should consider this opportunity if you are interested in helping customers implement innovative cloud solutions or solving technical problems. If accepted into the program, you will receive on-the-job training using the latest cloud computing technologies.
The classroom portion of the program runs for 12 weeks. Successful apprentices will then proceed to in-person training, which will last for up to six months. Pay for this position starts at $40,910, and may feature a signing bonus.
Data Center Technician Apprenticeship
This program runs for 10 weeks, during which you’ll learn about working in a reliable and secure data center, including how to provide support to customers around the clock. Basic qualifications include a high school diploma. Experience working in a data center environment and a bachelor’s degree in an IT-related field are preferred.
Solutions Architect Apprenticeship
This apprenticeship program runs for 14 weeks. During this time, you will work under Amazon Web Services (AWS) solutions architects as you focus on delivering perfect cloud solutions for Amazon’s business clients. This experience will give you insight into the latest Amazon technologies and help you drive future innovations.
Software Development Engineer Apprenticeship
This is a fully paid apprenticeship program that runs for 18 weeks. During this time, you’ll study Amazon’s latest technology and software development principles in a virtual classroom. If you’re successful, you will put your learning into practice at an Amazon location in either Seattle or Arlington.
Support Engineer Apprenticeship
Amazon’s support engineer apprenticeship program runs for 12 weeks. You will learn how to find and fix technical problems with network configuration.
Technical Sales Apprenticeship
This is a 10-week training course that teaches candidates how to generate new leads, provide input on sales-related campaigns, and accurately profile customers.
Technical Account Manager Apprenticeship
Amazon’s technical account manager apprenticeship is ideal for those looking to advance their careers in cloud-based solutions. This apprenticeship will teach you how to diagnose cloud-based technical issues with Amazon’s products and help customers when such problems come up.
How to Prepare for an Amazon Apprenticeship
Amazon’s apprenticeships are available to all regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. However, landing an Amazon apprenticeship is a highly selective and competitive process. You have to be on top of your game to increase your chances of being accepted by a program.
Most apprenticeship opportunities have preferred qualifications. These may include experience with systems administration, experience working in software development, and knowledge of top programming languages like Java, Python, Ruby, C#, and PHP. Below are some ways to get the requisite skills and experience.
Bootcamp
Tech bootcamps are fast-paced programs that equip students with programming skills. These programs have become popular in recent years because they only take a few weeks to complete. A bootcamp is also a cheaper alternative to a college degree.
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Enrolling in a bootcamp program will significantly increase your chances of landing an apprenticeship. The classic coding bootcamp program covers in-demand programming languages for use in software engineering and web development, but there are also bootcamps that offer programs in UX design, tech sales, and data science.
Online Course
Most of Amazon’s apprenticeships and internships are in engineering, research, and other technical fields. For this reason, you should consider an online course that covers technical subject matter to help you prepare. Consider free massive open online courses (MOOC) on Coursera or edX if you are on a budget.
Degree Program
A degree program is the most traditional way to get ready for an Amazon internship or apprenticeship. This is because most opportunities are geared toward college students. A degree program in a technical discipline like computer science will increase your chances of landing an Amazon apprenticeship that can advance your career.
Trade School
Most of the best trade school jobs are in industries other than tech. That being said, the right vocational or technical education at the postsecondary level can help you gain a working knowledge of AWS, including Elastic Block Storage (EBS), Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), and Simple Storage Service (S3).
How to Apply to an Amazon Apprenticeship
Applying to an Amazon apprenticeship program is pretty straightforward. Start by looking for open apprenticeship jobs on Amazon’s official website. Make sure to factor in where you live as apprenticeship opportunities vary by location. After selecting your desired job, Amazon will prompt you to create an account to start your online application.
Your Amazon Jobs account will store all your personal information, such as your name and email address, which will be crucial during the vetting process. You should hear from the admissions team a few weeks after submitting your application. If successful, you will be invited to participate in a series of exercises to determine whether you are a good fit.
How to Apply to an Amazon Internship
Applying to Amazon’s internship programs is fairly similar to applying for its apprenticeship programs. You should start by looking for available internships on Amazon’s official website. Remember to filter out opportunities that aren’t available in your area.
After filling out your application on the Amazon Jobs website, you will have to wait to hear back. If successful, you’ll be invited for a round of interviews and assessments to determine your fit.
Is an Amazon Apprenticeship or Internship Worth It?
Yes, Amazon’s apprenticeship programs in the United States are worth it, especially for members of the US military, veterans, and their spouses. Amazon claims that its apprenticeship programs have a 90 percent completion rate. These programs have helped individuals advance their technical careers in the United States and around the globe.
In addition, Amazon is known to offer positions with competitive salaries and lucrative benefit packages. You should definitely consider Amazon’s apprenticeship programs in the United States, but opportunities may be limited unless you are affiliated with the military in some way.
Amazon Apprenticeship FAQ
How Much Do Amazon Apprenticeships Pay?
Amazon has different apprenticeship programs based in different regions across the world, and they all have different salaries. With that said, reports by Glassdoor indicate that Amazon’s apprenticeships in the United States pay between $25,000 and $27,000 per year.
What Is an Amazon-Funded Apprenticeship Program?
Amazon offers funding for apprenticeship programs, particularly those based in the United Kingdom. Interested sellers are required to complete a registration survey to express their interest, and must have achieved £1,000 in sales over the past 12 months in Amazon stores across Europe.
What Is the Amazon Mechatronics Apprenticeship?
Simply known as the MRA, Amazon Mechatronics Apprenticeships are programs designed for current Amazon employees to advance their careers and wage-earning abilities through learning technical robotics and maintenance.
Is Amazon a Good Company to Work For?
Yes, Amazon is a good company to work for. According to LinkedIn’s 2021 ranking of the top companies to work for, Amazon is the best of the best. Amazon also has tons of positive reviews on Glassdoor.
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