Across Europe, Amazon says its activities supported more than 1.5 million jobs during the year. But beyond the headline investment figures, what does that spending mean for the people working for the company?
The question comes at a time when artificial intelligence, automation and digitalisation are changing the nature of work across Europe. Companies in several sectors are also reporting difficulties finding workers with the right skills. The European Commission has made reskilling and lifelong learning a policy priority through its “Union of Skills” strategy.
Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey found that 40% of workers said digital technologies had added tasks to their jobs, while 30% said technology had removed tasks. The impact of technology is therefore often a transformation of roles rather than simply job replacement.
Amazon currently employs more than 230,000 people in permanent roles across Europe, spanning its operations network, corporate offices, customer service centres and research and development facilities. Alongside pay and benefits, the company is placing increasing emphasis on skills development, particularly as technology and automation reshape some jobs.
Up to €3,000 a year to build new skills
One of the benefits available to eligible employees is Career Choice, which provides up to €3,000 per year towards education and training that can support their career development.
In 2026, Amazon is investing more than €30 million in Career Choice across Europe. The scheme works with more than 90 educational institutions across the continent and is designed to accommodate different working schedules.
For eligible employees, Amazon prepays 100% of tuition fees. Training is available in areas including IT, transport and skilled trades, with current areas of focus including cybersecurity, software development, logistics, renewable energy and mechatronics.
For Anvesh Ejapa, Career Choice provided a route from the fulfilment floor into a technical role. After joining Amazon’s Tilbury site in Essex as an employee packing customer orders, he completed a pre-apprenticeship course in mechatronics engineering while working shifts. He is now training as a mechatronics apprentice, specialising in the installation, maintenance and repair of the site’s robotics systems.
For Amazon, that type of transition illustrates how its training offer is intended to respond as the workplace evolves.
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Training for jobs that are changing
Career Choice is part of Amazon’s wider Future Ready 2030 commitment. Globally, the company has announced a $1 billion investment in Career Choice, with the objective of preparing hundreds of thousands of operations employees for in-demand careers of the future.
Globally, more than 300,000 employees have participated in the programme since 2012, according to Amazon. The new global commitment is intended to upskill another 500,000 employees.
John Boumphrey, Amazon UK Country Manager, said the company decided to develop skills internally in response to difficulties finding people with the qualifications required for some roles. “We couldn’t find enough skilled people for the roles we need, so we made a decision: we’re going to develop them ourselves.”
The approach extends beyond Career Choice. Amazon says it has created more than 6,000 apprenticeships since 2013, with apprentices working in areas including robotics, engineering and data science. It also cites AWS training programmes aimed at preparing learners for AI careers.
“Technology and infrastructure are important, but investments in people are critical,” said Robert Marhan, Amazon’s Vice President of People Experience and Technology. He added that Amazon wanted to give employees “the tools, training and opportunities to build careers they’re proud of.”
Training can help workers adapt to technological change, but it does not by itself answer questions about how work is organised, how technology affects workload or whether workers have a meaningful say in changes to their jobs.
Career development is only one part of Amazon’s commitment. The company is also highlighting additional parental benefits for employees across Europe.
A fourth year as a top employer
In 2026, the company was certified as a Top Employer in Europe for the fourth consecutive year. The certification covers 12 countries - Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and the UK - and spans Amazon’s operations network, corporate offices, customer service centres and research and development facilities.
The Top Employers Institute assesses organisations through its HR Best Practices Survey, covering areas including people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, diversity, equity and inclusion, and wellbeing. In 2025, the institute certified more than 2,500 organisations across 131 countries and regions.
“We’re investing in upskilling our teams through comprehensive training programs and cutting-edge AI tools, creating opportunities for career growth from entry-level positions to advanced professional roles,” said Mariangela Marseglia, Amazon’s Vice President of EU Stores.
The certification provides one measure of Amazon’s employment practices, but it does not answer the broader question of how workers can benefit from technological change while maintaining good-quality jobs.
For Amazon, the challenge now is to translate its European investment into opportunities employees can use in practice. Career Choice provides one concrete route: eligible workers can access fully prepaid tuition, study around their working schedules and train for skills that can be used inside or outside the company.
Training can improve workers’ mobility and employability, but its value ultimately depends on whether employees can use those skills to access better opportunities and whether technological change translates into sustainable, quality jobs.
The other side of the offer is support at different stages of working life, including additional parental benefits across Europe.
The result is not a single benefits package Instead, Amazon’s European employment offer combines programmes whose availability depends on the employee’s country, role and eligibility.
As Europe adapts to AI, automation and demographic change, the pressure to reskill workers is likely to grow. For companies such as Amazon, that makes employee training both a workplace benefit and a business necessity. For workers, the more important question may be what those skills allow them to do next.
At a time when the company says its European operations are changing alongside AI and automation, the emphasis is increasingly on what workers can take with them: not only a job today, but opportunities to acquire skills for whatever comes next.
To find out more about Amazon employee benefits, visit https://www.aboutamazon.eu/benefits-and-workplace.
Coverage of this topic was made possible with the support of Amazon, while all research and writing were conducted independently by The Brussels Times.
