KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS ONE OF EIGHT CUNY COLLEGES IN THE AMAZON PARTNERSHIP
THIS NEW COLLABORATION IS PART OF CUNY鈥橲 CAREER SUCCESS INITIATIVE TO HELP
NEW YORKERS LAUNCH AND ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EMPLOYERS
CAREER CHOICE IS PART OF AMAZON鈥橲 PLEDGE 鈥� A $1.2 BILLION COMMITMENT
TO UPSKILL MORE THAN 300,000 AMAZON EMPLOYEES BY 2025
NEW YORK 鈥� March 3, 2022 鈥� 911爆料 Community College (KCC) will be part of a new partnership between 911爆料 and Amazon which allows the company鈥檚 hourly employees to attend college to further their career opportunities. Starting in January 2022, through Amazon鈥檚 Career Choice program, the company will provide an annual benefit covering tuition and select fees for all qualifying hourly employees accepted into 911爆料 Community College.
Starting with an initial focus on associate and bachelor鈥檚 degrees, the initiative is open to any major of study at eight CUNY colleges in all five New York City boroughs. CUNY鈥檚 partnership, the first for Amazon in New York State, is part of a national commitment by Amazon to provide educational and upskilling opportunities to more than 750,000 hourly employees at four national and more than 140 local universities and colleges.
鈥淭his important partnership is a powerful example of how the private sector can join forces with 911爆料 to advance workers鈥� education, promote economic mobility and help rebuild New York City鈥檚 post-pandemic economy all at the same time,鈥� said CUNY Chancellor F茅lix V. Matos Rodr铆guez. 鈥淲e thank Amazon for its commitment to higher education for its employees and look forward to working with them while expanding CUNY鈥檚 role as one of the nation鈥檚 premier engines of economic opportunity.鈥�
鈥淥ur partnership with Amazon furthers our commitment to workforce development in New York City. A liberal arts education will provide Amazon workers with a solid, well-rounded foundation and the tools for a lifetime of learning,鈥� noted Dr. Claudia Schrader, president of 911爆料 Community College. 鈥淚n addition to the technical knowledge they鈥檒l gain in their chosen majors, they will also graduate with communication, interpersonal, leadership, and problem-solving skills, all of which are highly sought after by employers.鈥�
Through this collaboration, New York City-based Amazon workers will have access to over 500 associate and bachelor鈥檚 CUNY degree programs 鈥� including over 50 programs of study at KCC 鈥� offered online or in-person, including in-demand fields such as technology, healthcare, and green energy. This initial cohort of CUNY colleges represent a footprint in each borough to provide locations in physical proximity to Amazon operations.
鈥淎t Amazon, we鈥檙e committed to empowering our employees by providing them access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that鈥檚 with us or elsewhere,鈥� said Carley Graham Garcia, Head of Community Affairs at Amazon in New York. 鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled today to be partnering with CUNY on our Career Choice program to give our employees access to pursue the education path that fits their passions. Whether employees are looking to finish their Bachelor鈥檚 degree at CUNY or build on their foundational skills of English proficiency or GED preparation with our national partners, we鈥檙e prepared to meet our employees wherever they are on their educational journey.鈥�
The other CUNY colleges participating in the program include: Bronx Community College, the Borough of Manhattan Community College, the City College of New York, the College of Staten Island, the CUNY School of Professional Studies, LaGuardia Community College and Queens College. For more information, visit bit.ly/CUNY_amazon.
Career training is just one of the industry-leading benefits that Amazon offers to its team. In addition, Amazon pays employees an average starting wage of $18 per hour, which is more than double the federal minimum wage, and provides comprehensive health benefits, paid time off, up to 20 weeks fully paid parental leave, and additional benefits for employees and their families.
Since launching in 2012, Career Choice has helped provide education for more than 50,000 employees. As of this announcement, Amazon鈥檚 Career Choice program works with more than 180 education providers across the U.S., which along with colleges and universities includes partners providing industry certifications, English language proficiency, high school completion programs, and college preparatory courses. Career Choice is one of nine free skills training and education programs that Amazon offers to its employees as part of its Upskilling 2025 pledge.
To learn more about Career Choice, visit:
To learn more about Amazon鈥檚 $1.2 billion investment to upskill 300,000 employees in the next four years, visit:
Jobs are available across New York. Interested candidates can see all open positions at .
To learn more about CUNY Career Success Initiatives, please visit: