THE Amazon team in Warrington celebrated Armed Forces Day by shining a light on some of the veterans and reservists working across Amazon’s UK operations network.
One of the veterans currently working at Amazon in Warrington is David Wilson, who joined the company in 2020 through the Amazon Military Programme after more than 23 years in the Royal Navy.
The Amazon Military Programme offers members of the military community the opportunity to pursue a wide range of exciting new career paths at Amazon. This year Amazon will recruit over 300 veterans, reservists and military spouses across the business in over 35 different jobs ranging from health & safety specialists, engineers, sales managers and team leaders to senior managers. These new employees join over 2,500 already employed at Amazon since it commenced its military programme in 2011.
Amazon has been awarded the Employer of the Year Award at the Ex-Forces in Business Awards for two years in succession for its outstanding efforts in supporting ex-services personnel and military spouses. The Ex-Forces in Business Awards is the world’s largest celebration of military veterans in second careers.
The awards are dedicated to providing a much-needed platform for uncovering and showcasing the business achievements of ex-military, recognising the value veterans add to businesses as well as the employers that support the transition of servicemen and women. Amazon’s military onboarding plan, dedicated mentoring platform and thriving employee resource group ‘Warriors at Amazon’ continue to ensure our ex-forces have the best possible start to their second careers in Industry.
Amazon is also a proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. The Covenant, originally introduced in 2011, has a focus on helping the Armed Forces community to access the same support from government and commercial services as the public.
Amazon first signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2013 and renewed its commitment in 2021, vowing to uphold its key principles and to demonstrate its commitment to serving personnel, reservists, veterans and families.
Before joining Amazon, David had a military career that spanned more than 23 years.
He joined the Royal Navy as a physical training instructor immediately after leaving school. When his career in the Royal Navy ended, David joined the Amazon team as a learning development manager and has held the role for the last two years.
Speaking on why he joined Amazon after leaving the military, David said: “I was extremely sceptical about civilian life initially, but the military programme at Amazon was very appealing. Amazon shares a very good and accurate truth, with no hidden agenda. The similarities between its values and leadership principles align with those of the military.”
“My skillsets have been transferable from the military to my current role at Amazon, as I acquired the ability to understand that every situation is different – bringing new challenges,” he said.
“However, not all challenges come from the infrastructure or the processes, they sometimes come from people. Therefore, the background in the military that focuses on people management allows you to be very proactive and reactive.”
“Amazon embraces different cultures, which is very similar to the military, by not only interacting with people from different backgrounds, but familiarising yourself with their background to appropriately welcome them and respect their cultural differences.”
“Inclusiveness and collaboration are key within the military and at Amazon,” he added.
For anyone who has recently left the military, or is thinking of leaving the military, David has some advice. “Be open-minded and do not worry about fitting in. There is an opportunity for everyone at Amazon, no matter how many days, months, or years you served in the military.”
James Pitt at Amazon in Warrington said: “The Amazon Military Programme has been a fantastic success and David is one of the many brilliant veterans and reservists working in Amazon buildings here in Warrington and around the UK. The skills learned in the military are highly transferable to a role at Amazon and we’re pleased to continue offering employment, training and development opportunities to former servicemen and women through our programme.”
Gillian Russell, Principle Programme Manager, Global Military Affairs and retired Royal Navy Officer at Amazon, added: “The military community brings huge value to the workforce and we have a dedicated team focused on bringing that talent into Amazon. We offer opportunities across the whole business and we train, develop and support veterans, military spouses and Reserves to flourish and thrive here. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to lean new skills and build their career at Amazon.”
Launched in 2021 the Amazon Corporate Military Internship Program is one such opportunity. It offers a direct path into corporate roles in e-commerce for those transitioning from the Armed Forces. Those on the programme are supported throughout their transition to the corporate world, including a military mentor who already works at Amazon, tailored support from line management and an on boarding buddy.
To find out more about beginning a career with Amazon, visit Amazon Jobs
Amazon provides competitive pay, comprehensive benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment for its employees. The roles pay a minimum of £10.00 or £11.10 per hour depending on location, and Amazon employees can also take advantage of Amazon’s pioneering Career Choice programme, which pre-pays 95% of tuition 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.
Amazon also provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as cross-training, transferring to a different department and promotion into a managerial role.
Amazon has invested over £32 billion in the UK since 2010 to provide convenience, selection and value to UK consumers, while supporting tens of thousands of businesses and creative professionals including small businesses selling on Amazon’s online stores, Amazon Web Services developers and Kindle Direct Publishing authors.
