An apprentice from Kirkcaldy is calling on local people and his fellow colleagues to pursue the career they have always wanted by applying for an apprenticeship.
Norman Quigg started an operations apprenticeship at Amazon in Dunfermline in 2018 and is working towards a qualification to become an operations team leader after two years of training and study.
Prior to the apprenticeship Norman was working in another role within Amazon and had a desire to develop himself and move up the career ladder. “I took part in the first ever Leadership Activities course at Amazon in Dunfermline and it was at this point that I became aware of the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme and I decided to apply,” said Norman.
Amazon seemed like a natural fit for me when I returned to Scotland
A career in operations hasn't always been on Norman's mind, when he was younger he wanted to join the Army. Once he fulfilled that ambition, Norman decided to move to America. "I always knew I’d come home to Kirkcaldy eventually and Amazon seemed like a natural fit for me when I returned to Scotland,” he said.
Speaking about the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme, Norman said, “my apprenticeship sees me work in a really varied and interesting role. I work in the fulfilment centre with different departments, learning how they operate and helping them achieve their daily goals. It’s fantastic to see the movement of products through the site, from the moment they arrive and the process by which they get shipped to our customers. There’s so much to learn and experience here and I’m loving my apprenticeship.”
What has Norman enjoyed the most so far about his apprenticeship? “I’ve really enjoyed getting a deep understanding of how Amazon works. There are so many different opportunities here – opportunities that I wouldn’t get elsewhere – and that’s been brilliant for me.”
Norman is one of over 300 apprentices currently working at Amazon in the UK. Amazon has announced it will create a further 1,000 new apprenticeships for new and existing employees in fulfilment centres and development centres across the country. The new apprentices will add to over 27,500 permanent employees currently in the UK, with pay ranging from an entry level starting salary of £9.50/£10.50 an hour, up to £30,000 a year.
Nine different programmes are on offer across the country to people of all levels, ranging from IT, safety and HR through to software engineering, robotics, leadership and technology.
Two-in-every-ten new apprenticeships will be offered exclusively to Amazon’s existing workforce, providing a route from working on the shop floor through to working on cutting-edge software development, robotics technology and senior leadership roles in the business.
In addition to being fully-funded, apprentices also receive industry-leading benefits including competitive pay, employee discounts, private medical insurance and company pension plan.
For anyone thinking about applying for a place on the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme, Norman has some advice. “I’d tell everyone to apply. If you come in with the right attitude and you apply yourself in the right way, the opportunities are limitless. For people who’ve not gone down the university route, an apprenticeship offers you the chance to gain a qualification and apply for jobs you probably couldn’t otherwise apply for.”
To find out more about the Amazon Apprenticeship Programme visit www.amazon.jobs/apprentices
