Worthing apprentice and Cat Burns help Amazon mark major milestone

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of its apprenticeship programme. Amazon partnered with careers development platform Apprentice Nation to host an exclusive one-off gig featuring singer-songwriter Cat Burns.

Since the launch of the programme in 2013, there have been 5,000 Amazon apprenticeships offered. The vast majority (85 per cent) of employees who completed their apprenticeships have gone on to build successful careers at Amazon and currently 79 per cent remain working with the company today.

In a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by Amazon, 83 per cent of parents in the South East said they believed an apprenticeship would provide their child with a good chance of getting a permanent job, with 80 per cent of them also agreeing that an apprenticeship provided good earnings potential.

An apprentice from Worthing has helped Amazon celebrate the tenth anniversary of its apprenticeship programme and is sharing his story in the hope of inspiring people in Worthing to follow in his footsteps.

Oli Wheatley, from Worthing, is one of the 1,600 apprentices currently taking part in the Amazon Apprenticeship programme. As many as 5,000 apprenticeships have been offered in the UK in the last ten years.

Oli is a software development engineering apprentice at Amazon’s head office in London. He has been working at Amazon for four years and is currently taking part in an Amazon degree apprenticeship with Roehampton University and QA Training.

Oli, who joined Amazon straight from school after studying A-Levels in business studies, computer science and physics, said: “I loved the subjects but I felt that the full-time learning environment wasn’t right for me.

“I wanted a practical learning opportunity, which naturally led me to look at apprenticeships. I enjoy experimenting with things rather than just learning in the classroom, so this seemed like a great next step for me.”

Oli explained that, when he was searching for an apprenticeship, he had several options.

“I had the opportunity to join a number of different companies as an apprentice, but Amazon was the clear frontrunner for me,” he said.

“During the interview process, I felt that Amazon’s focus on technology was unlike anywhere else and that really appealed to me. The people I spoke to seemed truly invested in their work and that really drew me to the company.

“Amazon’s culture also really appeals to me. The sense of ownership and the ability to plan your own career path means I can have a tangible impact on the business and as an apprentice, I can’t ask for more than that.”