Global online retail organisation Amazon has expanded its programme of employer-paid language classes for employees.
The employer added to its Career Choice programme in order to offer English language classes for free to those working in the 13 non-US countries the programme operates in.
The change was made in order to reflect feedback from employees.
Amazon also expanded the programme to include local non-English language classes in relevant countries, including French Canadian, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish.
In September 2021, Amazon made a $1.2 billion (£989 million) investment in providing 300,000 employees with access to subsidised education, including providing college tuition for front-line employees. In August 2022, it added academic coaching to its benefits package.
Career Choice was initially launched for Amazon employees in the US in 2012, and has so far helped more than 130,000 employees return to education or learn new skills. It now operates in 14 countries, including Germany and Poland.
Stefano Perego, vice president of customer fulfilment for worldwide operations at Amazon, said: “Employees with multilingual skills are a vital resource in helping the business succeed and grow in global markets.
“I grew up speaking Italian and learned English as a second language. Being multilingual helped me secure my first role at Amazon, nearly 11 years ago, and has propelled my career in many ways.
“The ability to communicate with colleagues around the world and connect with different types of people has provided me countless opportunities and helped shape my career. I’m excited about the expansion of the programme to empower our employees to learn a new language, or explore the other offerings available through Career Choice.”