Amazon is to create more than 10,000 new jobs in the UK and launch a £10 million programme to help employees gain new skills, the online giant announced.

The move will take Amazon’s total UK workforce to more than 55,000 by the end of year.

The company will open a parcel centre and four new fulfilment centres, as well as expanding its delivery station network, creating new permanent roles in engineering, human resources, computing, health and safety, finance, and those dealing with customer orders.

A new fulfilment centre will open in Hinckley, East Midlands, this summer, creating 700 new permanent jobs, and the company will also open a parcel centre in Doncaster and new fulfilment centres in Dartford, Gateshead, and Swindon that will each create more than 1,300 permanent jobs later this year.

We’re creating thousands of good jobs across the UK from a diverse range of roles with excellent pay and benefits

New jobs will also be created in corporate offices, web services and operations networks in areas including London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Cambridge.

Amazon also announced it will invest £10 million over three years to train up to 5,000 employees in new skills.

Amazon’s UK country manager John Boumphrey said: “We’re creating thousands of good jobs across the UK from a diverse range of roles with excellent pay and benefits.

“We’re also delighted to be working with the British Chambers of Commerce on a pioneering approach to our Career Choice programme to provide the training, and skilled workers, needed to boost local economies right across the country.

“We’re proud of the front-line roles we offer across Amazon, and we also know that they will be a stepping stone for some in their career journey.”

As we build back better from the pandemic, this is a prime investment in our retail sector

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Amazon’s announcement is fantastic news and a huge vote of confidence in the British economy, helping us deliver on our commitment to level up across the UK with a whopping 10,000 new permanent jobs.

“As we build back better from the pandemic, this is a prime investment in our retail sector.

“Over the past year, Amazon’s workforce have pulled out all the stops to ensure consumers have had safe access to goods during this challenging time.

“Their latest investment will open up a wide range of opportunities for even more workers, helping to develop the skills needed to power tomorrow’s economy.”

Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “This is a great initiative that will not only help Amazon but also provide a much wider benefit to the community, while showcasing how business can be a force for good.

“Providing staff with training to plug the skills gaps that exist within the local business community is going to be a key driver to increasing productivity and boosting the economy as the UK recovers from the pandemic.”

Amazon said training will be offered through its programme, where it pays course fees for employees who have expressed an interest in pursuing a career outside of the company.