Amazon has pledged to create 30,000 jobs and offer 10,000 work experience placements for young people across the UK by 2030.
The commitments form part of the online giant’s new Amazon Youth Promise, which aims to tackle youth unemployment by helping more young people take their first steps into work.
The jobs will start at £15.10 an hour – equivalent to more than £31,000 a year for full-time employees – and include access to private medical insurance and a pension from day one.
Amazon says the operational roles, based across its UK network, will not require applicants to have a CV or previous work experience.
The company is also investing in technology skills for young people through its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services (AWS).
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John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager, said: “When I visit our sites, I meet young people who had no idea where to start six months ago. They didn’t have a CV. They didn’t have experience.
“What they had was a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. For many, Amazon was their first step into work. The Youth Promise is about reaching and supporting more people like them, in the places where those first chances are hardest to find.
“Applying for your first job can feel overwhelming, and too many young people get lost in the process.
“Our commitment is that every young person who applies to Amazon gets something useful from the experience, whether that’s the job, a work experience placement, or practical help to improve their chances next time. No CV required – you just need a willingness to learn and a positive attitude.”
Under the initiative, every applicant aged 18 to 24 who is unsuccessful in securing a role will receive practical guidance, links to organisations offering free employment support and details of how to reapply when further opportunities become available.
Pat McFadden, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said: “This government’s mission is to get Britain working, which is why we are backing employers who share our ambition to create opportunity in every part of the country.
“It’s great to see Amazon joining the growing number of major businesses backing our Youth Guarantee to give every young person the chance to earn or learn.
“Their Youth Promise will help thousands of young people take their first step into work, with good pay, real support and a clear route to progress. This is exactly the kind of employer leadership that will reach young people in the communities that need it the most and drive our economy forward.”
The announcement comes amid growing concern about youth unemployment, with around one million young people in the UK not in education, employment or training (NEET) – the highest level in a decade.
Former cabinet minister Alan Milburn is currently leading a major government review into youth unemployment and the rising number of NEETs.
Milburn said: “More than 8 in 10 young people who are NEET want to be in work or training.
Young people need opportunities
“The aspiration is there. What’s missing is the opportunity, the first rung has thinned, and too many young people can’t get a foot in the door.
“Amazon’s commitment is helping to rebuild that first rung, with 30,000 opportunities for young people. It shows what’s possible when employers take action to stop a lost generation.”
Amazon operates more than 100 sites across the UK and plans to treble the number of work experience places it offers annually, from around 900 this year to more than 3,000 by 2030.
In total, more than 10,000 young people are expected to benefit from work experience placements, including over 6,000 additional opportunities created through the Youth Promise.
The placements will range from one-week programmes for school pupils and young people who are not working to three-week online T Level projects delivered with Amazon employees.
There will also be 45-day T Level industry placements, allowing students to spend nine weeks working within Amazon teams.
The programmes are being delivered alongside partners including The King’s Trust, Media Trust and Forces for Employment, as well as the recently announced Opening Shift initiative with the British Retail Consortium and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Amazon held more than 180 recruitment events across the country last year, allowing young people to meet employers and apply for roles without a CV.
More than 2,800 people have started work over the past 12 months after attending events organised in partnership with Jobcentres, local authorities and other organisations.
The company plans to expand the programme in 2027, working with Department for Work and Pensions Youth Hubs to organise recruitment events specifically for young jobseekers.
Merseyside, Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire will be among the areas targeted, alongside Stoke-on-Trent, as Amazon looks to reach young people facing significant barriers to employment.