An area manager at Amazon Bolton who progressed her career through an apprenticeship is encouraging more people to join the company.
Agnieszka Oles, an area manager at the Bolton Amazon fulfilment centre, has spoken of her success story with the firm as the company announced 1,000 new UK apprenticeships for this year.
The roles span more than 40 different schemes, including data science, cyber security, marketing, and engineering.
More than half of these roles are open to external candidates and combine paid study leave to get qualifications, including degrees.
The roles include more than 500 higher-level apprenticeships for software development, automation engineering, and operations.
Ms Oles, who joined Amazon in 2018 after a decade in hospitality, has progressed to her current role through various training programmes, including the Amazon Apprenticeship programme.
She completed a Chartered Manager Apprenticeship last summer, earning First Class Honours in Business and Management and Distinction in Chartered Manager Status.
Ms Oles said: "I loved getting to know new people that I wouldn’t normally interact with from different parts of the business.
"The apprenticeship opened up my network and gave me a greater understanding of Amazon and helped me gain more knowledge into our processes, our problem solving and our team.
"Being able to relate that knowledge to the role I have today has been a real highlight for me."
She also praised the diversity and flexibility at Amazon.
She said: "We have so much diversity here.
"It doesn’t matter where you come from, what language you speak or who you are – everyone at Amazon welcomes and supports you.
"Everyone is included and valued for the skills they bring to their role.
"Another thing I love about working at Amazon is the flexibility of my job.
“I can adjust my shift pattern to fit with my home life.
"My husband recently changed career and works different hours to me.
"The flexibility in my role means I can manage my work around my family life, which has been amazing for me, my husband and our two children."
John Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon, said: "Apprenticeships have been a big focus for Amazon for over a decade, and we're excited to continue creating opportunities for people to start and grow their careers through the announcement of 1,000 new UK apprenticeships in 2025.
"The Amazon Apprenticeship programme is perfect for people of all ages who are either taking their first step on the career ladder, or for those who want to pursue a new path.
"This is one of the many ways we continue to create opportunities for people inside and outside Amazon to learn new skills and gain new qualifications."
Since the launch of the Amazon Apprenticeship programme in 2013, Amazon has offered 7,000 apprenticeships in the UK.
Applications for the 2025 apprenticeships are now open.
For more information, visit www.amazonapprenticeships.co.uk.
Share