Amazon partners with upskilling platform to develop internal talent
Amazon is adding a new solution to its Career Choice employee continuing education program.
The online giant is collaborating with upskilling platform Guild to provide its hourly employees structured and guided access to Guild Navigator, which helps employees find, track and manage licensing and certification programs. Amazon seeks to connect its workers to maintenance and engineering technician job opportunities while helping develop a pipeline of qualified talent for these high-demand roles.
Launched in 2012 to aid Amazon employees in obtaining continuing education, Career Choice was expanded in January 2022 so that Amazon hourly employees with at least three months’ tenure do not have to pay the cost of their education.
Through Career Choice, Amazon funds full college tuition, as well as high school diplomas, GEDs, and English as a Second Language (ESL) proficiency certifications for frontline employees. Amazon further expanding its Career Choice program to all salaried employees in the U.S. as part of a larger skills training commitment in October 2025.
[READ MORE: Amazon commits $2.5B to skills training]
Since its launch, Amazon says more than 300,000 global employees — including 100,000 in 2025 — have participated in Career Choice, including training for roles such as aircraft mechanics, commercial truck drivers, IT support specialists, and software developers.
“We’re looking forward to Guild coming on board as an education partner for Career Choice, adding to the hundreds of best-in-class offerings available to our employees,” said Tammy Thieman, director of career choice at Amazon. “We have intentionally created a partner network of third-party educators and employers committed to providing excellent education, job placement resources, and continuous improvements to the experience.”
Guild has also partnered with Lowe’s to provide associates access to 100% debt-free programs designed to help build careers within the retailer’s organization, including areas of study such as supply chain, logistics, data analytics, cybersecurity, and technology. In addition, Guild collaborates with Walmart to run the discounter’s free “Live Better U” education benefit.
“Skilled technicians are the backbone of modern operations, and the most forward-thinking companies know that building that workforce starts with investing in the people they already have," said Bijal Shah, CEO of Guild. "Amazon is leading the way by making a deliberate commitment to develop the talent its business depends on from within. That is how companies build resilience and strengthen their operations over time. Guild is proud to support that journey from first step to placement."
