- Over 1,340 employees–30% of the CVG campus workforce–have utilized the program to earn new degrees and certifications.
- Amazon collaborates with NKU, Cincinnati State, and Thomas More University to provide tuition-free training in high-demand fields like IT and mechanics.
- The initiative is part of a $1.2 billion national investment in upskilling to boost employee retention and bridge the local skills gap.
Before Amazon IT support associate Djemil Ndama Traore left the podium, he told his fellow graduates, “This is not your finish line, this is your launch point.”
Traore said he wore many hats at Amazon before landing a career in IT, a change made possible by the company’s Amazon Career Choice program, an internal employee education and upskilling program that helps eligible workers pay for training, credentials and degrees.
“My background was really mixed,” he told LINK nky. “I went to aviation, different sales, finance, and then HR, just before moving to IT. I focused in cyber security, because that’s something I love, helping people and then solving problems.”
Traore was among nearly 110 students at Amazon’s campus at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport who were recognized by the company upon completing the program. According to Amazon, there were over 1,340 Career Choice participants at CVG, representing around 30% of its campus workforce. Nationally, over 300,000 Amazon employees have participated in the program since its launch in 2012.
Through the program, participants can pursue a variety of fields of study, including skilled trades, aircraft mechanics, technology and IT, healthcare, business management and transportation and logistics.
Additionally, several local universities and trade schools partner with Amazon to offer a range of educational programs, including associate and bachelor’s degrees, industry certifications, GEDs, high school completion, language courses, and career coaching. These partners include Northern Kentucky University, Thomas More University, Cincinnati State, Southern New Hampshire University, 160 Driving Academy, and goFLUENT.
As global competition for employees intensifies and the U.S. job market becomes increasingly integrated with artificial intelligence, companies are investing in upskilling programs to enhance employees’ skill sets and, in turn, their value to the company. Upskilling is the process of learning new skills or improving existing ones.
A 2025 analysis by the Society for Human Resource Management found that nearly 90% of organizations are concerned about employee retention. To address this issue, many companies are focusing on upskilling. According to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report 2025, offering employees learning opportunities is the most widely used retention strategy.
Amazon is no exception to this trend. As one of the world’s largest employers, Amazon has invested heavily in internal upskilling. In 2019, the company introduced its ‘Upskilling 2025’ pledge to train more than 100,000 workers. Since then, Amazon has invested over $1.2 billion in this initiative.
In 2026, employees such as Traore are the beneficiaries of Amazon’s internal push. Jonathan Akers, assistant general manager at Amazon’s CVG campus, praised the graduates’ accomplishments, telling his co-workers the credentials were well earned.
“To close out the ceremony, an incredible moment today here for everybody, and one that they’ve truly earned,” Akers said.
