Amazon announces plans to create 5,000 full-time UK jobs this year
Amazon UK has announced plans to create more than 5,000 full-time jobs this year, which will take the the company’s total UK workforce to over 24,000. According to a statement issued today (20 February), the new hires will range from “software developers, engineers and technicians, to those seeking entry-level positions and on-the-job training”.
Amazon said that it will “work to hire as many individuals as possible from seasonal positions into these new permanent roles”.
The Amazon statement continued: “In addition to the new full-time roles the company is creating, Amazon continues to empower entrepreneurs and individuals who want to start their business or earn extra money to supplement their incomes through programs such as Amazon Marketplace, Amazon Logistics, and Amazon Flex.”
The comment regarding Amazon Logistics and Amazon Flex is particularly interesting for the delivery sector – as Amazon has been ramping up its own infrastructure over the past couple of years.
Flex is Amazon’s “crowdsourced” delivery initiative. Or, as Amazon describes: “The Amazon Flex delivery programme is offering hundreds of individuals the opportunity to work the hours they want, set their own schedule, and earn up to £15 per hour.”
Amazon also today announced a new apprenticeship programme, which it says will be “offering hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities in engineering, logistics and warehousing roles in fulfilment centres across the country”.
Doug Gurr, UK Country Manager, Amazon commented: “We are creating thousands of new UK jobs including hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities as we continue to innovate for our customers and provide them with even faster delivery, more selection and better value. We are hiring for all types of roles from flight test engineers, software engineers and corporate managers in our development centres and head office, to operations managers, supervisors, engineers, service technicians, HR roles and order fulfilment roles in our fulfilment centres. We are also proud to empower many thousands of others to work alongside Amazon in serving our customers – from Marketplace sellers to Flex delivery drivers to Kindle Direct Publishing authors.”
Roy Perticucci, Vice President, Europe Customer Fulfilment, Amazon, added: “Amazon is committed to creating opportunities with choice and flexibility that appeal to the widest range of individuals, from those that want a full working week to those that just want to work for a few hours.”
Amazon closed its statement by confirmed that it will be moving into its new head office Shoreditch, East London, this year. Amazon will also maintain its 60 Holborn Viaduct office, providing capacity for more than 5,000 employees in the capital by the end of 2017.
