A Doncaster apprentice has helped Amazon announce that it is creating more than 1,000 new apprenticeships in the UK in 2025.
The Amazon apprenticeship programme, recognised as one of the UK's top apprenticeship schemes by the Government’s Department for Education1, will offer a wide range of opportunities across the country in Amazon businesses including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Prime Video, and Amazon Devices and Services.
Matthew Burd from Doncaster is currently taking part in the programme and is sharing his story to encourage others to consider an apprenticeship.
Matthew has worked at Amazon in Doncaster for 14 years. Matthew started an apprenticeship in Safety, Health and Environment in 2024 through the Amazon Apprenticeship programme and will complete his course in 2026.
When Matthew – who is one of Amazon’s longest serving employees in Doncaster – left school he did a two-year apprenticeship in welding before joining a youth ministry as a volunteer youth minister. Three years later, he wanted a career change and at the same time, Amazon opened its first Doncaster fulfilment centre.
He joined the company as a temporary employee and over the course of the last 14 years, has worked his way through different teams and departments to the role he holds today – a workplace health and safety technician apprentice.
Matthew explains why, after such a long time with Amazon, he was drawn to applying for an apprenticeship with the company. “The chance to learn something new and the opportunity to apply for a greater variety of roles within Amazon in the future attracted me to the apprenticeship programme,” he said.
“I have worked in safety for a while now and the apprenticeship offers me the chance to broaden my knowledge and skills in this area. I like that apprenticeships begin by offering you a basic understanding of an industry or role before giving you a chance to dive into something more specific.”
Matthew continues: “Safety is such a broad area – you can specialise in fire safety, environmental safety and construction safety, and this apprenticeship will open so many doors for me in the future, depending on which route I’d like to go down.”
As he heads towards the halfway point on his apprenticeship journey, Matthew talks about some of the highlights of the programme so far. “Being able to expand my knowledge of safety is a big plus for me. I also enjoy the teams I work with as part of the apprenticeship. It’s brought me back together with colleagues I worked with previously, which is great, and helps us become a tight-knit team. I also get the opportunity to help people through my apprenticeship and that’s something I love,” he said.
As someone who has been with the company for many years, Matthew has a lot of highlights from his time working at Amazon in Doncaster. “I love many things about my role,” he said. “The level of new skills you learn all the time and the opportunities to develop top the list for me. I began life at Amazon as a temporary employee and quickly progressed through different roles like problem solver, instructor and team lead. Getting the chance to move across teams, sites and business lines with the help of a supportive team is one of the best things about life at Amazon.”
"Apprenticeships have been a big focus for Amazon for over a decade, and we're excited to continue creating opportunities for people to start and grow their careers through the announcement of 1,000 new UK apprenticeships in 2025," added John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon.
"The Amazon Apprenticeship programme is perfect for people of all ages who are either taking their first step on the career ladder, or for those who want to pursue a new path. This is one of the many ways we continue to create opportunities for people inside and outside Amazon to learn new skills and gain new qualifications."
Recruitment is now underway across more than 40 different programmes, including data science and cyber security, HR, marketing, engineering, health and safety, and warehouse operations. The majority of courses now also include generative AI training, and this year, Amazon is also launching new programmes including creative industries production, data centre operations, and facilities operations.
Since the launch of the Amazon Apprenticeship programme in 2013, Amazon has offered 7,000 apprenticeships in the UK. There are currently around 2,000 apprentices in the programme, making it one of the largest and broadest apprenticeship schemes in the UK. Since 2021, Amazon has committed £11 million supporting 650 small and medium-sized businesses, third sector organisations, and public sector bodies including the NHS with more than 1,000 apprenticeships. This is through the apprenticeship levy transfer scheme, across a wide range of schemes including adult care, data, dental nurses and broadcast production assistants.
Young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can also take advantage of the Amazon Supported Internship programme. Launched in 2021, the initiative combines classroom learning with practical work experience; helping interns develop essential skills in English, Maths, and CV writing, while gaining hands-on experience across three operational job functions.
Pay at Amazon starts from £13.50 or £14.50 per hour depending on location, equating to between £28,000 and £30,000 annually. Additionally, from day one, all employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, and an employee discount. Together, these benefits are worth more than £700 annually, and employees can take advantage of a company pension plan.
Applications are now open for Amazon’s apprenticeship programme. For more information, visit: www.amazonapprenticeships.co.uk