Amazon’s partnership with the District’s only public university and HBCU will provide hourly employees a pathway to degree attainment

Amazon’s partnership with the District’s only public university and HBCU will provide hourly employees a pathway to degree attainment

For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON – Today, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) announced it has been selected as an educational partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, providing more than 5,000 Amazon hourly employees access to UDC’s more than 50 associate and bachelor’s degree programs.

“As the only public, exclusively urban land-grant and Historically Black University in the United States, the University of the District of Columbia is proud to become an educational partner with Amazon’s Career Choice Program,” said UDC’s Chief Academic Officer Dr. Lawrence T. Potter, Jr. “This strategic partnership allows UDC to further its mission by expanding learning pathway opportunities to adult learners through our associate and bachelor’s degree programs, optimally leading to high-paying in-demand careers in D.C., the DMV region, and beyond.”

UDC recently ranked #17 on the 2022-23 U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best HBCUs and ranked #7 among all public HBCUs.

Established by abolitionist Myrtilla Miner in 1851, UDC is committed to a broad mission of education, research and community service. UDC offers workforce training, professional certification, and more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degrees designed to create opportunities for student success. The University is comprised of a College of Arts & Sciences; School of Engineering & Applied Sciences; School of Business & Public Administration; College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability & Environmental Sciences; UDC Community College; the Division of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning; and the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law.

Amazon’s Career Choice program is an educational benefit that empowers employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. The program meets individual learners where they are on their academic journey with various educational and upskilling opportunities, including pre-paid college tuition and industry certifications designed to prepare students for in-demand jobs. The program also ensures foundational mastery leading to higher rates of high school and GED completion, as well as improved English language proficiency.

Amazon’s Career Choice program has a rigorous selection process for third-party partner educators, choosing partners who are focused on helping employees through their educational programs and assisting them with job placements leading to career success. In the U.S., the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 employees by 2025.

“We’re looking forward to the University of the District of Columbia 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, Global Program Lead of Amazon’s Career Choice program. “We’re committed to empowering more than 5,000 of Amazon’s hourly employees within the DMV region by providing them access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere. 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. Today, over 80,000 Amazon employees around the world have participated in Career Choice, and we’ve seen first-hand how it can transform their lives.”

For more information on Amazon’s Career Choice, visit: https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/career-choice

For more information on UDC, visit: https://www.udc.edu/amazon-career-choice/