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Thomas More, Amazon partnership the latest step in University’s effort to create better prepared workforce


Thomas More University recently partnered with e-commerce giant Amazon to participate in the Amazon Career Choice program. Amazon hourly employees can take course work toward any Thomas More program or badge they wish with tuition waivers provided by the company in an effort to promote career success and strengthen skills in the area’s workforce.

“We are thrilled to partner with Amazon on the Amazon Career Choice program,” says Thomas More University President, Joseph L. Chillo, LP.D. “We are honored to work with a company that truly values the benefits of high-quality education and is working to elevate the region’s workforce. Amazon hourly employees will now have the opportunity to benefit from the premier Catholic Liberal Arts education offered at Thomas More University at no tuition expense.”

Thomas More University hosts more than 2,000 students annually, with a 14:1 student-teacher ratio, offering more than 40 academic majors and graduate programs. (Photo from TMU)

Amazon’s Career Choice program is an education benefit that empowers Amazon employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. Amazon provides a variety of education and upskilling opportunities including full college tuition, industry certifications designed to lead to in-demand jobs, and foundational skills such as English language proficiency, high school diplomas, and GEDs. In the U.S., the company is investing $1.2 billion to upskill more than 300,000 Amazon employees by 2025 to help move them into higher-paying, in-demand jobs.

In August 2021, the major logistics company officially opened the Amazon Air Hub, an 800,000-square-foot facility located at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Supporting a growing air cargo network, the Hub has already assisted over 14,000 small to medium Kentucky business owners and independent authors in expanding their businesses. The $1.5 billion Amazon Air Hub is expected to create over 2,000 full-time jobs for area residents, making Thomas More’s participation in the Career Choice Program a vital tool for area workforce.

Thomas More’s Digital, Graduate & Professional Programs is no stranger to community partnerships, having developed innovative programming designed for working adults through fostering relationships with some of the most prominent organizations in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region, all in an effort to bolster the region’s economic, healthcare, and educational industries.

Community workforce needs are addressed through partnerships like the one with St. Elizabeth Healthcare, which gives their nursing staff the opportunity to increase their skill level and further their career by participation in Thomas More’s RN to BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program as an employer-specific cohort, opening avenues to retaining and engaging staff.

In response to local educator demands, Thomas More also works with regional school districts to assist in the recruitment and retention of teachers through an accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching degree. The program is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree, allowing them to earn their master’s degree in teaching and their initial certification all at the same time.

Thomas More also seeks to accommodate those not interested in a degree-seeking program with new non-credit micro-credentials and badges, launched in direct response to employer needs, adding valuable skills for employees. These professional credentials are created with working individuals in mind, with offerings in a self-paced, online format. Credential offerings differ from most other programs by integrating optional expert facilitated sessions. More information on this option can be found at bemore.thomasmore.edu.

For more information about Thomas More University, visit www.thomasmore.edu.

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