[ardy42]

> I wonder what the success rate is for their retraining program to turn factory workers into coders.

Probably about 0% for their warehouse workers: they're so exhausted by the end of their shifts that they won't have the energy to learn, and their most at risk of losing their jobs to automation.

This is a feel-good announcement that will likely do little good without other management changes that Amazon is probably loathe to make.

[lbatx]

1. Is it really too much to believe that someone with a physically demanding job might be in good enough condition to do something else after work? I'm pretty sure folks in all sorts of physical jobs have physical hobbies as well. You never hear this sort of excuse about carpenters.

2. It's hard to work full time and go to school after. It's by definition going above and beyond.

[Dylan16807]

"Excuse"? You think people are being too lenient about the warehouse workers? Those jobs are awful, and it's not about simply being a physical job. I would much rather do carpentry.

[lbatx]

There are a lot of awful jobs. Roofer in Phoenix in the summer, for example.

No, I don't think people are being too lenient -- it's a bit more subtle than that. There are many physically demanding jobs, some as much or more so than warehouse worker. I was questioning why we never see people say people in those job families couldn't possibly study after a day at work.

What you want to do is also irrelevant, as you might have an enjoyment of carpentry. Me, I hate it, and would rather be a warehouse worker.

[Mediterraneo10]

Amazon warehouse jobs aren't just physically demanding. I agree that one can study hard after half a day spent on some physical effort. Instead the problem is that Amazon pickers are under constant stress all those hours to meet targets far more demanding than most other jobs. I would expect that constant mental stress to leave people so frazzled at day's end that they would be unable to hit the books and concentrate.

[lbatx]

> far more demanding than most other jobs

And you've just made my point for me. "Most" other jobs. It's not the most difficult, most physical, most dangerous. Where are the people saying people in job "X" can't possibly study after a day at work? Somehow, that reasoning is confined to warehouse workers.

[krapp]

>Probably about 0% for their warehouse workers: they're so exhausted by the end of their shifts that they won't have the energy to learn, and their most at risk of losing their jobs to automation.

I work at one of those warehouses and people do try to put in the effort to learn - unfortunately, Amazon only offers Associates' Degree level education and (judging from public complaints) all but forces people to work night shifts and extra hours to keep their numbers up, and doesn't actually teach the classes well, because of course their first, primary and overriding interest is in having their warehouse employees meet their quotas and fulfill business needs.

Which is why I recently just suggested that people just take Udemy courses and stay away from Amazon's offers altogether.

[mensetmanusman]

I have a brother in law going through this process. Having young kids seems to be enough motivation to work more after brutal overnight shifts. He recently immigrated to the US.

[mulmen]

I worked harvest and was a janitor in college and still had energy to study. I had no time to do anything else but it was strangely “easy” at the time because I had no distractions.

[jgmjgm]

Fair enough, but not all people have that experience. Things often get harder as you age.

Sadly, some people make poor decisions when they are young and course correcting gets harder the older one gets.

[mulmen]

Youth helped me for sure but I did it later in life than most people.

I was motivated because I believed my effort would pay off. That may be easier without the experience of age but I don’t think anyone is excluded from that possibility.