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UA-PTC joins Amazon Career Choice Program

Amazon’s Career Choice program provides full tuition to UA Little Rock, UA - Pulaski Tech to enhance career success at Amazon or elsewhere

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College were selected as education partners for Amazon’s Career Choice program, providing Amazon’s hourly employees in Central Arkansas with access to more than 180 accredited degree programs.

“I applaud Amazon's investment in its workforce,” said UA Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale. “This partnership reflects a recognition of UA Little Rock's commitment to developing the right mix of academic programs that intersect with career advancement and social mobility. The outcome will produce dividends for Amazon, the City of Little Rock, and the surrounding region for years to come.”

UA Little Rock and UA - Pulaski Tech are the first higher education institutions in Arkansas to be named Career Choice Partners by Amazon, joining a select partnership of colleges and universities throughout the country who are helping Amazon employees achieve career success by providing them with access to comprehensive two-and four-year degree programs.

“Through the generosity of Amazon and the quality higher education and training available at UA – Pulaski Tech, access to the education necessary for future success has never been greater,” said UA-PTC Chancellor Margaret Ellibee. “Having a company pay for an employees’ college education at the same time the employee has a great job removes some of the most significant barriers to attainment.”

Amazon’s Career Choice program is an education benefit that empowers employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. The program meets individual learners where they are on their education journey through a variety of education and upskilling opportunities including full college tuition, industry certifications designed to lead to in-demand jobs, and foundational skills such as English language proficiency, high school diplomas, and GEDs. In the U.S., the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 employees by 2025 to help move them into higher-paying, in-demand jobs.

As a part of the Amazon Career Choice program, full-time Amazon employees living and/or working in Arkansas who attend UA Little Rock and UA - Pulaski Tech are eligible for up to $5,250 in annual tuition assistance provided by Amazon. Additionally, part-time Amazon employees are eligible for up to $2,625 in annual tuition assistance.

Amazon’s Career Choice program has a rigorous selection process for third-party partner educators, choosing partners that are focused on helping employees through their education programs, assisting them with job placements, and overall offering education that leads to career success.

“We’re looking forward to UA Little Rock and UA Pulaski Technical College coming on board as an education partner for Career Choice, adding to the hundreds of best-in-class offerings available to our employees,” said Tammy Thiemann, global program lead of Amazon’s Career Choice program. “We’re committed to empowering our employees by providing them access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere. We have intentionally cultivated a partner network of third-party educators and employers committed to providing excellent education, job placement resources, and continuous improvements to the experience. Today, over 50,000 Amazon employees around the world have already participated in Career Choice and we’ve seen first-hand how it can transform their lives.”

For more information on Amazon’s Career Choice, visit: www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/career-choice

UA Pulaski Tech invites Amazon employees to visit uaptc.edu/amazon to learn more about educational opportunities at UA-PTC.