National University Selected as National Education Provider for Amazon’s Career Choice Program, Making Tuition-Free Education Available to Amazon’s 750,000 Hourly Employees
SAN DIEGO (March 3, 2022) – National University (NU), the flagship institution of the National University System, which includes three universities serving more than 45,000 students, has been selected by Amazon to serve as the National Vendor for Choice of business career. program, which offers comprehensive courses to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. Amazon will pay full tuition for its employees for more than 40 bachelor’s and associate’s degree programs offered by National University.
Amazon’s Career Choice program is an educational benefit that empowers employees. The program meets individual learners where they are in their educational journey through a variety of education and development opportunities, including full tuition, industry certifications designed to lead to jobs in demand and fundamental skills such as English proficiency, high school diplomas, and GEDs. In the United States, the company is investing $1.2 billion to upgrade the skills of more than 300,000 employees by 2025 to help them access higher-paying, in-demand jobs.
“We have a unique opportunity to provide working adults with educational experiences that help them excel in their current roles while developing the skills and credentials they need to pursue their long-term career aspirations,” said said Dr. Michael R. Cunningham, Chancellor of the National University System. “This new collaboration with Amazon Career Choice will allow us to unlock the benefits of higher education access and completion for more working adults across the United States, creating pathways to mobility. long-term social and economic.
By joining the Career Choice program, National University brings its unique expertise in developing workforce-relevant degrees and credentials designed specifically for working adults. National University will provide Amazon employees across the United States with online courses and on-site courses at Amazon fulfillment centers, with tuition fully funded by the Amazon Assistance Program. business. Additionally, the City University of Seattle, one of the affiliates of the National University System, has been chosen as the regional provider for the Amazon Career Choice Program and will offer courses in Washington State.
“We look forward to National University becoming a Career Choice Educational Partner, adding to the hundreds of top-notch offerings available to our employees,” said Tammy Thiemann, global program manager for Amazon’s Career Choice program. “We are committed to empowering our employees by giving them access to the education and training they need to advance their careers, whether at home or elsewhere. Through our rigorous selection process, we have intentionally cultivated a network of third-party educator and employer partners committed to providing excellent education, placement resources, and continuous experience improvements.
The announcement comes at a time when demand for employer-funded education benefits is growing rapidly among working-age adults in the United States. The recent Amazon-Gallup American Upskilling Study found that 70% of workers interested in upskilling say they would change jobs if offered free training. Young adults entering the labor market even consider employer-funded upskilling to be more important than paid leave.
To help Amazon employees graduate faster and make programs as accessible as possible, National University will offer new start dates each month with flexible courses designed to be completed in four weeks. Every student who enrolls in NU courses through Amazon Career Choice will be matched with an academic advisor throughout the experience, as well as career counseling and job placement services to help them prepare for opportunities. in their industry or career of choice.
“Helping working adults achieve their career aspirations has been central to our university’s mission for more than 50 years,” said Randy C. Frisch, acting president of the National University. “As we continue to grow and serve this population on a much larger scale, this partnership is an example of how we can not only meet the needs of short-term students, but – more importantly – create offers educational experiences that will support career and professional growth for years to come.
This expansion of Amazon Career Choice builds on the company’s 10 years of supporting employees through education benefits and development opportunities. Since its launch in 2012, more than 50,000 Amazon employees have participated in the Career Choice program. The company has built more than 110 onsite classrooms for employees working in Amazon fulfillment centers in 37 states.
Amazon and National University also share a commitment to serving military veterans and their families. About 30% of National University students are either active duty or retired. Amazon employs more than 40,000 veterans and U.S. military spouses and recently announced plans to hire 100,000 more by 2024, many of whom will benefit from access to training and education opportunities offered by the CareerChoice program.
“This initiative aligns incredibly well with our long-standing goal of developing partnerships with employers to design programs closely tied to the needs of workers — and the workplace,” said Chris Graham, president of Workforce Education Solutions at National University System. “Equally importantly, it also reflects the vital role that employers themselves can play in expanding access to education, especially at a time when the majority of new jobs being created require some type of post-secondary education or training.
For more information on Amazon’s Career Choice program, visit: nu.edu/amazon
About National University
: National University, a not-for-profit organization founded by veterans, is dedicated to meeting the needs of hard-working adults by providing accessible, affordable, and attainable higher education opportunities since 1971. As the largest university private nonprofit San Diego, NU offers more than 75 online and on-campus programs and flexible four-week courses designed to help students achieve their goals while balancing busy lives. Since its inception, the NU community has grown to over 30,000 students and 180,000 alumni worldwide, many of whom serve to help sectors such as business, education, healthcare, cybersecurity, law and criminal justice. Learn more at NU.edu.
About the National University System
The National University System (NUS) is a network of accredited, not-for-profit educational institutions serving a diverse population of students, including K-12 students and working professionals. NUS institutions of higher education serve more than 45,000 students through National University, Northcentral University, and Seattle City University. NUS education-focused initiatives include Workforce Education Solutions, Harmony SEL, Inspire Teaching & Learning and Fundraising Academy Cause Selling Education. Learn more at nusystem.org.
