
An Amazon Education - iProject
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/an-amazon-education/
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wyclif
Unimpressive. $2,000/yr really isn't much, given the current cost of
education. What they should do is offer full reimbursement for STEM training
to employees who qualify. Now that would make me consider working for Amazon.

This only confirms my opinion of Amazon as a company that likes to be stingy
with salaries and benefits.

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sadga
It's $2000/yr bonus for minimum wage warehouse employees, not spoiled
engineers.

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wyclif
Problem: this program isn't for spoiled engineers. Another problem for your
non-argument: I'm a former Amazon warehouse associate. Even for warehouse
employees, it's not a good deal. Have you read the Amazon warehouse employee
blog posts here on HN recently? Education costs the same whether you're an
"engineer" or a warehouse worker. As another high-karma commenter (e.g., not
you) said about this same subject in another thread:

\--most people working in Amazon warehouses are employed by temporary staffing
firms, not Amazon

\--most people working in Amazon warehouses don't come anywhere near 3 years
of tenure before quitting or being fired

\--reimbursement is limited to $2,000/year for four years, while $5,000/year
is pretty much the minimum direct cost to take such programs

\--the program is limited to full-time workers, so only those who can take
classes while working full-time and mandatory-or-you-get-fired overtime can
partake

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primatology
From the FAQ:

> What are the maximum benefits under the program? > Amazon will pay up to 95%
> of the tuition, textbook and associated fees up to a maximum of $2,000 per
> year for four years.

Tuition for an associates degree is usually upwards of $5000. I was impressed
at first; now I'm deeply disappointed and see this as little more than a PR
stunt.

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Mythbusters
I think it was targeted towards the people who work in the warehouses not
necessarily highly paid technical staff aiming to do their MS or MBA. Still
$2000 is paltry as compared to what Google and Microsoft, other major tech
employers in the area, offer.

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dinkumthinkum
That's pretty bogus. Little more than a PR stunt. Honestly, I would have more
respect for Amazon if they just didn't have such a program or made it
basically secret rather than treating it as a call to action for other corps
to "copy."

