Ecommerce giant Amazon has announced it will fund 300 new apprenticeship positions in the next 12 months across 250 small and medium-sized businesses and partners across the UK.

 The new roles will be funded by Amazon through its apprenticeship levy, which is a tax on companies with a payroll over £3 million. The levy can be used to fund apprenticeships, training and other skills development initiatives. 

The new apprenticeships will be available in a range of sectors, including digital marketing, visual effects, cyber security and more. They will last between 12 and 48 months and will include a mix of on-the-job and classroom training. Amazon says the new apprenticeships will help to create a more skilled workforce in the UK and support the country’s economic growth. 

“We are proud of the positive impact the Amazon Apprenticeship Fund has created for apprentices, companies and communities across England,” said John Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon.

“It means people across the country have been given a head-start in their career, or transferred into a new career with the right support and opportunities.”

 “As we expand, we hope other larger employers will also choose to transfer some of their unspent levy to create more valuable apprenticeship roles for people across England to gain new skills, supporting productivity and innovation.” 

The announcement comes as the UK government is seeking to increase the number of apprenticeships in the country. The government has set a target of 3 million apprenticeships by 2024. Amazon’s announcement is a significant step towards achieving this target and will help to create a more skilled workforce for the UK economy.