The power of learning: Crawley shift manager offers career tips during Learning at Work Week 2024

Learning at Work Week is an annual programme run by the charity Campaign for Learning. The charity works with organisations around the UK to create activities and fun challenges in the workplace to help employees learn and grow.

This year’s theme, Learning power, explores how lifelong and continual learning gives people power to change, grow and achieve individual, team and organisational goals.

Shashikant Kolge, who works at the Amazon delivery station in Crawley, has used Amazon’s development and training opportunities to shape his professional career.

One of the programmes Shashikant has taken part in at Amazon is Amazon Career Choice. The programme, which has been running at Amazon for the past decade, pre-pays up to 95% of tuition and fees for courses in high-demand fields, up to £8,000 over four years, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.

Courses available include accountancy, HGV driving and software development, and are designed to help employees build careers at Amazon or elsewhere. It means that eligible employees are given the opportunity to gain the skills and qualifications needed to follow their career aspirations.

Shashikant, who used the programme to help secure his role as a shift manager, has shared his story to encourage others to take their career to the next level using the Amazon Career Choice programme.

Shashikant works at Amazon’s delivery station in Crawley as a shift manager. He has worked with Amazon for more than five years. Shashikant has gained two qualifications through the Amazon Career Choice programme; a diploma in Office Management and a diploma in Human Resources.

Shashikant originally joined Amazon as an associate at the company’s site in Coventry. “I heard that Amazon offered incredible opportunities to learn and develop through training and study programmes and that’s why I joined the company,” he said.

Not long after Shashikant joined Amazon, he learned about Amazon Career Choice. He applied for a place on the programme to study for a diploma in Office Management and he’s not looked back. “I thought Career Choice was such a great idea – to offer employees funding to upskill in areas they are passionate about. I jumped at the chance to join the programme and it’s been a great decision for me,” he said.

“My Amazon Career Choice qualifications have helped me to not only grow my career prospects, but they have also improved my confidence. The programme has enabled me to progress through different roles at Amazon, to the position I hold today. I’m very grateful for that,” he added.

What’s the best thing about his job? “The support,” he said. “Amazon is a huge company, but it really cares about every person who works here. The level of support from everyone is incredible and I feel well looked after by my team.”

What does the future look like for Shashikant? “My dream is to explore new positions within Amazon. I’ve already had an incredible time with the company, moving from operations to logistics and I’m excited for what the future holds for me,” he said.

Amazon also provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as apprenticeships, transferring to a different department and promotion to a managerial role.

Amazon Delivery Station Manager, Christopher Hike, added: “We are proud of Shashikant’s success through the Amazon Career Choice programme. Career development is at the core of our culture at Amazon, where lifelong learning is promoted at every turn. Many of our team members have taken part in Career Choice and are now fulfilling their potential on Amazon teams all over the UK, Ireland and further afield. Others have gone on to successful careers elsewhere, and we are proud to have supported them in their professional development by giving them extra tools for success in their new roles. We look forward to offering employees even more choices in the future as Amazon Career Choice evolves and grows.”

Amazon employees receive competitive pay and comprehensive benefits. Pay starts at a minimum of £13 per hour in Crawley and employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan

Amazon has been named as a ‘Top Employer UK 2024’ by the Top Employer Institute, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management. This award recognises Amazon’s commitment to the development and well-being of its employees. In addition to the UK accolade, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for a second consecutive year

In 2023, Amazon ranked in second place on LinkedIn’s Top Companies list — an annual list that identifies the most sought-after places to work and grow your career in the UK. Using data from LinkedIn’s 900 million members, LinkedIn’s Top Companies list is designed to help professionals identify the best companies to grow their careers.

To find out more about a career with Amazon, visit Amazon Jobs.