Amazon selects Onondaga Community College as education partner for Career Choice program

ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has selected Onondaga Community College (OCC) as an education partner for its Career Choice program.

The program provides hourly employees access to pre-paid tuition to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere, OCC said in its announcement.

“We’re honored to be chosen as Amazon’s partner in education for success in Central New York,” Warren Hilton, president of OCC, said. “As the community’s college, we know the power of education and how it can transform lives and an entire region. We are looking forward to welcoming Amazon employees to our campus and providing them with educational, and ultimately career growth opportunities.”

Amazon’s Career Choice program is described as one that “meets individual learners where they are on their education journey through a variety of education and upskilling opportunities,” per the OCC announcement.

They include pre-paid college tuition; industry certifications designed to lead to in-demand jobs; and foundational skills such as English language proficiency, high-school diplomas, and GEDs (general education diplomas).

In the U.S., the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 employees by 2025 to help move them into higher-paying, in-demand jobs.

Amazon’s Career Choice program has a “rigorous” selection process for third-party partner educators. The e-commerce giant says it chooses partners that are focused on helping employees through their education programs, assisting them with job placements, and overall offering education that leads to career success.

Amazon operates a fulfillment center in the town of Clay and a delivery station in the town of DeWitt.

“We’re proud of our growing footprint in Syracuse and Central New York and we’re even prouder to offer this program through our partnership with Onondaga Community College,” Carley Graham Garcia, Amazon’s head of community affairs in New York, said. “This adds to the many benefits available to our employees in Central New York and participants will join 90,000 Amazon employees around the world who have already participated in Career Choice.”

For more information on Amazon Career Choice at OCC, visit https://www.sunyocc.edu/amazon-career-choice