Amazon to create more than 10,000 permanent jobs in UK

As the pandemic pushes more shoppers online, Amazon announced on Friday that it will create over 10,000 new permanent jobs in the United Kingdom this year.

The creation of new permanent jobs across the United Kingdom will boost the economy and bring Amazon's total workforce to more than 55,000 by 2021, according to the company.

In addition to this, Amazon will invest 10 million pounds (14 million U.S. dollars) over three years to train up to 5,000 employees in new skills and support the U.K. government's investment program.

The training will be offered through Amazon's Career Choice program, which covers the course fees for Amazon employees interested in pursuing a future career outside of the company.

The program offers funding for adult education, pre-paying 95 percent of tuition and associated fees for nationally recognized courses up to 8,000 pounds (11,261 U.S. dollars) over four years, with courses available ranging from accountancy to HGV (heavy goods vehicle) drivers and software developers.

Also Read: Less than 3% of U.S. small businesses could face tax hikes under Biden infrastructure plan

British Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: "Amazon's announcement today is fantastic news and a huge vote of confidence in the British economy, helping us deliver on our commitment to level up across the UK with a whopping 10,000 new permanent jobs. As we build back better from the pandemic, this is a prime investment in our retail sector."

"Providing staff with training to plug the skills gaps that exist within the local business community is going to be a key driver to increasing productivity and boosting the economy as the UK recovers from the pandemic," Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said.

John Boumphrey, Amazon's UK Country Manager, said: "We're proud of the front-line positions we offer across Amazon, and we understand that they'll serve as a stepping stone for some. We are happy to support people whose ambitions are outside of our company by paying for training and academic courses that will help them get to where they want to go."