As part of its Career Choice program, Amazon pays for employees to earn degrees or certificates in what the company predicts will be high-demand occupations. Checking out which fields are approved for the program can reveal what the company thinks the future labor market will look like.
In the Career Choice program, employees have the opportunity to take classes on-site, and Amazon pays for 95% of the fees associated with certificates and associates degrees up front. Amazon partners with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to create data-informed decisions about growing industries, and funds education only for those industries that are in high demand.
“We offer training paths that could very likely lead to opportunities and careers outside of Amazon, but we think if we think we can help people realize their dreams, we want to be a part of it,” Juan Garcia, Global Leader for Associate Career Development at Amazon, explains.
Here are the industries Amazon predicts will grow in the coming years:
1: Transportation
Transportation and material moving occupations—from railroad workers to airline and commercial pilots—are expected to see enormous growth in the next eight years. For example, demand for truck drivers will see 6% growth in those years, according to CNBC.
2: Health care
The health care industry will create about 2.4 million new jobs in the next eight years, mostly thanks to an aging population. Over the past few years, health care has kept pace with the tech industry as a growing employer hungry for new grads. Health care jobs frequently top lists of best jobs, jobs with bright outlooks, and reliable middle-class jobs.
3: Mechanical and skilled trades
Demand for mechanical and skilled trade jobs—from aircraft mechanics to janitorial managers—is predicted grow by 5% in the next eight years. Jobs in these fields also traditionally provide a good work-life balance and salary—two factors millennials look for in a career.
4: IT and computer science
Nearly every company—including Amazon—needs employees well-versed in information technology and computer science. In fact, software developers are the most highly paid, sought-after employees of 2018, and job demand for similar roles is expected to grow 13% in the coming years (Hess, CNBC, 4/19).
Read more: The hidden factor influencing your students’ career choices
