Amazon to create over 1,300 jobs in Swindon

E-commerce giant Amazon says it will create more than 1,300 jobs in Swindon when it opens a regional distribution centre in the town, as part of a 10,000 jobs recruitment drive across the UK.

Amazon confirmed this morning (Friday) that it was opening four new regional distribution centres and a parcel centre in the UK – including one at Symmetry Park.

When the warehouse was sold for £200 million last year it was the single biggest storage and distribution property deal in British history.

The other distribution centres will be at Hinckley, Dartford, and Gateshead, and the parcel centre will open in Doncaster.

Roles will also be created at corporate offices, Amazon Web Services, and operations network.

Corporate roles will be available in offices in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Cambridge across a wide range of fields including fashion, digital marketing, engineering, video production, software development, cloud computing, AI and machine learning, and more.

In operations, Amazon will open a parcel receive centre and four new fulfilment centres, as well as continue to expand its delivery station network, creating thousands of new permanent roles on teams including engineering, HR and IT, health and safety, finance, and those that pick, pack and ship customer orders.

The online retail firm has also announced that, working with the British Chambers of Commerce, it will invest £10 million over three years to train up to 5,000 employees in new skills and support the Government’s investment programme.

This training will be offered through Amazon’s Career Choice programme, where the company pays course fees for its employees who have expressed an interest in pursuing a career outside of the company – something that will boost the skills and employability of British workers.

Accredited Chambers of Commerce will have the opportunity to work with Amazon to identify regional skills shortages ensuring training is focused on local needs.

The company will provide classroom-based learning through Amazon Career Choice, as well as exploring opportunities with the Accredited Chamber of Commerce network to provide practical work experience and mentoring in employees’ chosen future professions.

Amazon’s UK country manager John Boumphrey said: “We have always wanted to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, and we have also committed to be Earth’s Best Employer and Earth’s Safest Place to Work.

“We’re creating thousands of good jobs across the UK from a diverse range of roles with excellent pay and benefits. We’re also delighted to be working with the British Chambers of Commerce on a pioneering approach to our Career Choice programme to provide the training, and skilled workers, needed to boost local economies right across the country.

“We’re proud of the front-line roles we offer across Amazon, and we also know that they will be a stepping stone for some in their career journey. For people whose ambitions fall outside of our company, we are pleased to support them by paying for training and academic courses that can get them to where they want to be.”

Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is a great initiative that will not only help Amazon but also provide a much wider benefit to the community, while showcasing how business can be a force for good. 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.”

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.

“Over the past year, Amazon’s workforce have pulled out all the stops to ensure consumers have had safe access to goods during this challenging time. Their latest investment will open up a wide range of opportunities for even more workers, helping to develop the skills needed to power tomorrow’s economy.”

Pictured: Amazon’s warehouse in Manchester by Lewis Clarke, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.

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