Northern Kentucky University announced Tuesday that it has been selected as an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, providing Amazon’s hourly employees access to nearly all undergraduate opportunities at NKU.
Amazon’s Career Choice program is an education benefit that helps employees to learn new skills for career success. The program meets individual learners where they are on their educational journey, said NKU President Ashish Vaidya, through a variety of education and upskilling opportunities including full college tuition, industry certifications designed to lead to in-demand jobs, and foundational skills such as English language proficiency, high school diplomas, and GEDs.
“Through this partnership, we will help equip students with the necessary tools to succeed in the ever-changing workforce,” Vaidya said.
In the U.S., the company is investing $1.2 billion in more than 300,000 employees by 2025 to help move them into higher-paying, in-demand jobs.
The partnership will provide Amazon hourly employees access to more than 80 undergraduate degree programs and stackable micro-credentials with options for in-person, hybrid, and online classes.
Full-time employees are eligible for up to $5,250 annually in tuition, fees, and course materials, while part-time employees are eligible for up to $2,625. Employees are eligible for the benefit after 90 days of employment with Amazon.
Amazon’s Career Choice program has a selective process for third-party partner educators, choosing partners that are focused on helping employees through their education programs, assisting them with job placements, and offering education that leads to overall career success.
Tammy Thiemann, Global Program Lead of Amazon’s Career Choice program said the program has over 80,000 employees around the world participating in the Career Choice program.
“We’re looking forward to Northern Kentucky University coming on board as an education partner for Career Choice, adding to the hundreds of best-in-class offerings available to our employees,” Thiemann said. “We’re committed to empowering our employees by providing them access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere.”
