Read: Amazon commits to Levelling Up Goals

Amazon has committed to levelling up the UK by taking a leading role on shaping a set of Levelling Up Goals.

The Levelling Up Goals, established this year by former Education Secretary Rt Hon Justine Greening in partnership with businesses, universities and policymakers, will be a 14-point framework designed to tackle the biggest challenges facing the UK as the country recovers from the pandemic. The goals range from Strong Foundations in Early Years to Equality through Diversity and Inclusion. 

The focus of the framework is to unite businesses, civil society and policymakers in levelling up the nation by setting a clear set of objectives. The aim is to drive equality of opportunity for people in the UK as they reach key life stages, and addressing particular barriers they face along their journey such as access to healthcare provision and fair career progression. 

The Levelling Up Goals will be the first major piece of work by the Purpose Coalition, which includes businesses, universities and public sector organisations, such as Direct Line Group, BBC, Compass Group, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester United Foundation, University of Bradford and many others. 

Amazon will participate in the Levelling Up Goals’ Measurement Task Force and will lead on shaping Goal Number Three, looking at Positive Destinations Post-16, which is defined by the ambition that every young person and adult should have the choice of a high quality route in education, employment or training. The result will be a set of metrics and indicators, which can be used by any organisation to focus their social impact efforts towards regions and communities where greater social mobility is most needed.  

Alongside developing the metrics, Amazon will work with the Purpose Coalition to develop its own Levelling Up Impact Report, mapping activity against the Goals, and setting out how it plans to go further in its contribution to levelling up the UK. 

John Boumphrey, Amazon UK Country Manager, said: “Amazon has invested more than £23 billion since 2010 in the UK, and these investments have created nearly £45 billion in value-added GDP. We are committed to supporting and serving communities across the UK which is why we are excited to be working with the Purpose Coalition on this project. Earlier in the year we announced that Amazon will create more than 10,000 permanent jobs in 2021, taking our total workforce to 55,000 by the end of the year. We also announced a £10 million commitment to train up to 5,000 employees in new skills through our Career Choice programme. Aligned with this, the Levelling Up Goals will provide an excellent framework for businesses to measure impact and activities as the UK begins to recover from the pandemic, helping people find their vocation and develop fulfilling, well-paid careers.”

Justine Greening said: “It’s great to be working with Amazon as part of the Levelling Up Goals. Amazon is already demonstrating that it is taking levelling up seriously through its incredible work in its Amazon in the Community programmes across the UK. This includes its leading social impact work in helping people from low-income backgrounds access careers in computer science through Amazon Future Engineer, to its partnerships with NHS Charities Together, British Red Cross, Magic Breakfast, In Kind Direct and Barnardo’s, in its aim to eliminate the impossible choices between food and rent, healthcare or school supplies. I am especially impressed by Amazon’s Career Choice programme, where the company pays course fees for its employees who have expressed an interest in pursuing a career outside of the company – something that will boost the skills and employability of British workers.”

“That’s why having Amazon leading the way in levelling up is so important and I’m looking forward to working with the team. It is great to have the Amazon UK Country Manager, John Boumphrey, as one of our Commissioners on the Goals.”