Amazon Career Choice Program

Okay, that's peachy. Here's the flipside:<p>--most people working in Amazon warehouses are employed by temporary staffing firms, not Amazon<p>--most people working in Amazon warehouses don't come anywhere near 3 years of tenure before quitting or being fired<p>--reimbursement is limited to $2,000/year for four years, while $5,000/year is pretty much the minimum direct cost to take such programs<p>--the program is limited to full-time workers, so only those who can take classes while working full-time and mandatory-or-you-get-fired overtime can partake<p>The number of warehouse workers eligible for this is nearly zero. Might even be precisely zero.

No doubt this is partly in response to articles like this: <a href="http://articles.mcall.com/2011-09-18/news/mc-allentown-amazon-complaints-20110917_1_warehouse-workers-heat-stress-brutal-heat" rel="nofollow">http://articles.mcall.com/2011-09-18/news/mc-allentown-amazo...</a> which describe surprisingly poor working conditions in an Amazon warehouse in rural PA.<p>"<i>During summer heat waves, Amazon arranged to have paramedics parked in ambulances outside, ready to treat any workers who dehydrated or suffered other forms of heat stress. Those who couldn't quickly cool off and return to work were sent home or taken out in stretchers and wheelchairs and transported to area hospitals. And new applicants were ready to begin work at any time.</i>"

Key information that's missing from the title: <i>up to a maximum of $2,000 per year</i>

Judging from this news article[1], it seems like there aren't many warehouse workers that 1) work there full-time, 2) have worked for 3 years, and 3) have the free time to pursue a degree.<p>Then again, the money may be targeted towards warehouse managers, who Amazon could see as potential higher-ups in the main organization if they had formal training.<p>[1] <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/02/mac-mcclelland-free-online-shipping-warehouses-labor" rel="nofollow">http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/02/mac-mcclelland-f...</a>

While some may argue this is not much in regards to tuition, this can get you VERY far in a community college. See this tuition graph here: <a href="http://www.maricopa.edu/about/?tuition" rel="nofollow">http://www.maricopa.edu/about/?tuition</a><p>I went to Maricopa community colleges and I had better instruction there than I had at the big schools. The best teachers I had were at community college.<p>So while some argue its not much, its almost enough to cover your tuition for a year at a community college.<p>If someone has the drive, they'll go do it and take advantage of the program.

For a company who has repeatedly come under fire for hellish work conditions in their warehouses, a tuition reimbursement program seems like a rather pathetic PR nod. What hourly employee of theirs is going to have the time and 3 year commitment to earn this reward? Never mind the fact that most of their employees are temps from external agencies.

Duplicate article (<a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4279905" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4279905</a>), with misleading title this time. This does not apply to the vast majority of warehouse employees. <a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4280530" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4280530</a>

This program only covers inexpensive two year community college degrees, and only for a small number of subjects.<p>The subject limitation I can understand, it's not unreasonable for the employer to lock out degrees that they feel might not directly benefit the company.<p>But the two year degree restriction, which locks out all serious degrees and universities, has no justification other than being incredibly cheap on reimbursements. It would be better to have nothing at all since community college tuition isn't that expensive to begin with. If I was there I'd interpret this limitation as more of an insult than anything, and I have no doubt that many there will see it the same way once they look into the details.

In all fairness, allowing people who are unhappy, in a first warehouse job, or in skilled occupations to train themselves out of their unhappiness is a very novel and extremely favourable idea.<p>This is like saying, it's not you, here's a chance, take your time, we'll help you and then move on when you are ready. I wish every company did that... It is way better than laying you off and even more superior to keeping you in a job you resent and do just because you need to pay the bills...

"Unlike traditional tuition reimbursement programs, we exclusively fund education only in areas that are well-paying and in high demand according to sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and we fund those areas regardless of whether those skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. In addition, the Amazon Career Choice Program will pay tuition and fees in advance rather than reimbursement after the completion of the course."<p>That is /really interesting/ I mean, why? from an employer's perspective, it seems like you'd keep your low-skilled employees longer if you helped them pursue their dream of, you know, something unemployable. (I mean, assuming they are going to learn something that doesn't help amazon, amazon keeps people longer if they learn something that isn't in demand.)

Again? This feels like Amazon PR is spamming HN...

Sounds like Amazon is telegraphing its intentions for increasing automation in warehouses, a la Zappos. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdd6sQ8Cbe0" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdd6sQ8Cbe0</a>

I find it's kinda cheap. 2000$ per year... looks more like recruitment marketing without too much commitment, than an actual initiative for the well-beings of the employees.<p>I like to think "do things right, or don't do them". In that case, I'd prefer if Amazon would go all the way and give maybe, 5..8k$, or give nothing at all.<p>2k$ a year, that's really not much. I like the initiative, I was reading it and thinking "Hum, this is interesting and nice" until I got to the "huh what?" of the 2k$ line.

I just took a peak on glassdoor.com.<p>Average salary for a "Amazon.com Warehouse Associate Salary": $24,756<p>With 10 hour days (as mentioned in the comments) that works out to be... disgusting.

A friend of mine commented that this is just a way to minimize the negative impact for when Amazon substitutes employees with Kiva robots.

"[...] whether that's at Amazon or in another industry."<p>Because, you know, Amazon is the only player in its industry. Oh wait ...

This, combined with the recent Kiva Systems acquisition, makes me suspect a layoff is on the horizon.

Question: would Amazon hire anyone with just an associates degree?

again?