WGU Named Amazon Education Partner for Career Choice Program

Western Governors University (WGU) today announced it has been selected as an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, providing Amazon’s hourly employees throughout the state with full tuition toward select undergraduate degree programs in information technology and business. The goal of the program is to connect Amazon employees with opportunities to learn new skills for career success, whether that be at Amazon or elsewhere.

“At WGU, we believe in the inherent worth of every individual and that, given the opportunity, everyone has something big to contribute,” said WGU President Scott Pulsipher. “Education is a lifelong journey, and I commend Amazon for investing in their employees’ futures. Equitable education requires meeting students where they are, and I am proud that WGU can join Amazon to help provide pathways to opportunities for its employees.”

Amazon’s Career Choice program, which began in 2012, provides a variety of educational and upskilling opportunities to the company’s hourly employees, including full college tuition, industry certifications designed for in-demand jobs, and foundational skills such as English language proficiency, high school diplomas, and GEDs. 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, choosing partners that are focused on helping employees through their education programs, assisting them with job placements, and offering education that leads to career success.

“We’re looking forward to WGU 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 Thiemann, Global Program Lead of Amazon’s Career Choice program. “We’re committed to empowering our employees 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 cultivated 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 50,000 Amazon employees around the world have already participated in Career Choice and we’ve seen first-hand how it can transform their lives.”

WGU pioneered online, competency-based education, a model that allows Amazon employees in locations across the country to further their education and careers on their own timeline, no matter where they live. This approach allows students to apply their prior learning and work-based skills to coursework, enabling them to progress through what they know and spend more time learning what they don’t. Students complete their programs by studying, completing coursework and taking tests on schedules that fit their lives, advancing as soon as they demonstrate they have mastered the subject matter. Like all students at WGU, Amazon employees who enroll will be paired with a program mentor who has expertise in their chosen degree program and supports students in learning and navigating their educational journeys from enrollment through graduation.

“WGU is honored to be selected by Amazon as an education partner, and we look forward to providing the company’s hourly employees with access to career-boosting education that will help them grow their skills and advance their careers,” said Dr. Angie Besendorfer, Regional Vice President of Western Governors University. “Both Amazon and WGU are committed to providing adults who might otherwise not be able to earn a degree with access to high-quality college education, and we are proud to team up with Amazon to help their employees realize their dreams and further their education.”

For more information on WGU and Amazon Career Choice visit: wgu.edu/amazon

About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 131,000 students nationwide and has more than 257,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 25 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families and preparing the workforce needed in today’s rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.