(Adnkronos) – One in two Italian workers (51%) believes that on-the-job training is more useful for preparing people than traditional university qualifications: this is what emerges from a new Italian study on career trends and workplace commissioned by Amazon. In fact, the majority of Italian workers (55%) agree on the fact that universities do not provide all the skills necessary to grow professionally and, among those who have completed an additional course of study, two out of five (42%) admit that work that they currently carry out is not linked to their academic career.
The Amazon study ‘The future of work and professional development’, conducted by Ipsos at a European level, also found that the majority of Italian employees (91%) believe it is equally important to acquire a new skill with the aim, within of a year, to improve one’s career path, or to receive a promotion (87%). When considering a job or role change, 89% of people surveyed say that career development training is essential, very or somewhat important to them, and that the training programs offered by a potential employer are more or equally important than work flexibility (84%) and company culture (82%).
One possible explanation for this situation is that many respondents said they would feel motivated (39%), encouraged (35%) and optimistic (29%) to work for a company that offers access to acquisition programs of new skills useful for career development. Furthermore, around one in five people in Italy (19%) admit that they cannot afford to pay for training courses independently.
Amazon has understood the importance of being able to predict and anticipate the evolution of the world of work and skills, investing more than 100 million euros in training programs in Europe. In 2014 it launched Career Choice, the program that provides for the payment of 95% of school expenses up to 8,000 euros for four consecutive years, for nationally recognized courses in 11 Italian schools and universities. For Amazon employees throughout Italy, Career Choice offers training courses in different sectors: from technology to sustainability, from business administration to logistics.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Career choice in Europe, in 2024 Amazon has allocated an investment of 40 million euros with the aim of adding over 25 new training programs to its European offer, thus providing thousands of employees with the skills with which they can respond to current and future needs of the world of work. Currently, Amazon employees in Italy can choose from more than 20 different programs with the aim of developing and increasing their potential, both at Amazon and elsewhere. The new training offer introduced in 2024 also includes courses such as those for cyber security specialists and network security specialists.
Since its launch in 2014, more than 3,000 Amazon employees in Italy have participated in the program. While some have decided to leave the company to pursue other career opportunities thanks to the new skills and certifications gained with Career Choice, many have stayed, taking on new roles and developing their careers. The project continues to establish itself with excellent results: in Italy in 2023 approximately one employee in 10 was selected to participate in Career choice.
“My goal was to work in contact with people and thanks to Career Choice I am succeeding,” explained Aurora, HR associate partner at the Amazon distribution center in Cividate al Piano (BG), who continues “I joined Amazon 6 years ago with the role of warehouse operator. The Career Choice program changed my life: after an initial English course, I attended a second one in the field of Human Resources, which allowed me to acquire new skills, fundamental for what I wanted to do. Initially I worked in the Learning & Development team as a trainer, then a position opened up, I passed the interview and last year I joined the HR function. I am an ambitious person and these tools have helped me grow,” she added.
Focusing on the future scenarios of the world of work, the study shows how training will represent a fundamental asset for mitigating workers’ concerns. In fact, as many as 46% fear not having the necessary skills to continue doing their job in the coming years.
Furthermore, around seven out of ten respondents (71%) believe that currently employed people will have to continue studying and updating themselves to maintain their professional role in the future. However, only 14% of employees say they have access to training courses capable of supporting them in a possible change of professional path, while two out of ten employees (22%) say that there is no such thing at their current employer. possibility.
“The most recent surveys and the growth of our Career Choice program over the last 10 years clearly highlight the strong desire of workers across Italy to develop their skills through training programs and upskilling, on concrete, relevant and accessible skills,” he said Salvatore Iorio, HR director Amazon Operations in Italy.
“Amazon – he underlined – is proud to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Career Choice skills training program in Italy with a further expansion of the training offer, so that thousands of colleagues across the country can grow, continue to train and be able be put in a position to seize new career opportunities, within Amazon or even outside of it. We believe that giving these tools to our people is essential to creating a work environment that is not only stimulating, but also truly inclusive.”
The Career Choice program is currently available to Amazon employees in Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The program includes a rigorous selection process for third-party partner educators, choosing partners who focus on assisting employees through their education programs, assisting them with transition into the workforce, and generally offering training that leads to professional success.
