Dr. Merodie A. Hancock, president, announced that Thomas Edison State University will join more than 140 colleges and universities nationwide to partner with e-commerce giant Amazon to expand career advancement opportunities for its 750,000 hourly employees.
Career Choice is an education benefit that empowers employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere.
“Amazon’s Career Choice program aligns with our mission to prepare our workforce for the jobs of the future,” said Hancock. “We are honored to be chosen and excited about the opportunity to expand access to education for Amazon’s frontline workers while helping to upskill and drive the New Jersey economy.”
The state of New Jersey is working to create broader and more transferable skills sets for working adults by combining on-the-job training and college learning into a degree pathway, saving students time and money while actively building the New Jersey workforce.
“I am pleased to see one of New Jersey’s largest employers partnering with our premier state university for adult students. This relationship will empower more adults to achieve educational and career success, uplifting our communities and workforce, without becoming overwhelmed by the escalating cost of higher education,” said New Jersey Sen. Shirley K. Turner.
Amazon provides 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. With Career Choice, Amazon employees can enroll in any of the more than 100 areas of study at Thomas Edison to earn a degree completely online. The University’s proximity to key Amazon distribution centers as well as its reputation as a leader in online education contributed to the decision to partner.
“Thomas Edison State University’s expertise in educating adult learners makes them an excellent addition to the Career Choice program,” said Colin Newman, director of public policy for Amazon. “We are pleased to add an additional public New Jersey institution of higher education to the network. These partnerships are part of our continued investment in the Career Choice program.”
Since launching in 2012, Career Choice has helped provide education for more than 50,000 Amazon employees. In the United States, the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 Amazon employees by 2025 to help move them into higher-paying, in-demand jobs.
Source: TESU