UHV enters partnership with Amazon Career Choice Program
The University of Houston-Victoria, along with other University of Houston System schools, recently has joined a partnership with the Amazon Career Choice Program to help Amazon employees complete a higher education degree.
Amazon’s Career Choice program is an educational benefit that empowers Amazon employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. Amazon provides 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.
The partnership, which includes all the schools within the University of Houston System, officially began this spring, and UHV is accepting Amazon employees in the program for student enrollment.
“I am excited about this added partnership to UHV because we strive to make higher education accessible to working adults, and this is another partnership that can help us achieve those goals,” said Karla DeCuir, UHV assistant provost for distance learning. “UHV has focused on making an adult admissions and transfer-friendly program, as well as flexible and affordable class schedules so that those who want to finish a college degree can do so. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students joining us from Amazon.”
The Amazon Career Choice Program launched in 2012 and is live in 14 countries, including the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, South Africa, Costa Rica, Slovakia and Australia. More than 80,000 Amazon employees have participated globally since its inception, including more than 35,000 in the U.S.
The program offers three education paths for employees: foundations, which includes high school diplomas, GEDs and English as a Second Language proficiency certifications; education and job training in academic programs and skilled trades; and college credits toward a certificate, associate degree or bachelor’s degree. In the U.S., the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 Amazon employees by 2025 to help move them into higher-paying, in-demand jobs. The program’s most popular fields of study globally include health care, transportation and information technology.
“We are very pleased to be a part of this initiative with the Amazon Career Choice Program,” said Chance Glenn, UHV provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Programs like this are aligned with UHV’s commitment to providing students with a quality education and the skills they need to be successful. We look forward to our future with helping Amazon employees obtain their degrees.”
UHV is in a great position to be a part of this program as the university works with many working adults around their schedules to earn degrees, DeCuir said. While students could have the option of taking classes in person, UHV offers options that can be completed online. One program UHV offers is FastTrak, bachelor’s and master’s degrees offered in eight-week online courses. Depending on the program the student enrolls in, and their schedule, students can attend classes in the evenings as well. There are also Amazon hubs within 30 minutes from the UHV Katy instructional site.
The Amazon Career Choice Program is available to hourly full-time and part-time employees who have worked at Amazon for at least 90 continuous days. Amazon will provide funds for tuition and fees for the student through a voucher. Amazon employees must apply for funding through the voucher process, and they must also follow the UHV admission and application process.
“Amazon employees must have the correct information, approvals and all required signatures before turning in their voucher to UHV at least a week before the payment deadline for the semester they are enrolling in,” said Debbie Green, UHV student receivables specialist. “Employees also can apply for a voucher per semester that they plan to attend.”
Amazon employees interested in enrolling in the program and attending UHV for the fall semester should aim to have their vouchers turned in to the university by the beginning of August. Vouchers can be submitted via email at billing@uhv.edu or mailed to the university labeled “Attention: Student Billing.” Employees with questions can email or call Student Billing at 361-570-4833. To learn more, visit www.uhv.edu/amazon.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
