CCRI selected by Amazon as an Education Partner for Career Choice Program
CCRI selected by Amazon as an Education Partner for Career Choice Program
July 28, 2022
Today, the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) announced it has been selected
as an education partner for Amazon’s Career Choice program, providing Amazon’s hourly
employees access to the college’s more than 90 certificate or degree programs in high-wage,
high-demand industries including healthcare, business, IT, cybersecurity, and education,
among others. CCRI is the first and currently only college or university in Rhode
Island that is an Amazon Career Choice partner.
Amazon’s Career Choice program is an education benefit that empowers employees to
learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. The program meets individual
learners where they are on their education journey through 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 employees by 2025 to help move them into
higher-paying, in-demand jobs.
Amazon’s Career Choice program has a rigorous selection process for third-party partner
educators, choosing partners that are focused on helping employees through their education
programs, assisting them with job placements, and overall offering education that
leads to career success.
“This partnership demonstrates what is possible when industry and higher education
join together to increase access to higher education, advance social and economic
mobility, and strengthen Rhode Island’s economy,” said Meghan Hughes, President of
CCRI. “We are deeply grateful to Amazon for supporting their employees’ academic and
career goals, and we are ready to welcome Amazon associates to our college.”
As the largest community college in New England and the only associate degree awarding
institution in Rhode Island, CCRI enrolls nearly 18,000 students in credit-bearing
degree and certificate programs annually. With a passionate commitment to student
success and closing equity gaps, CCRI provides Rhode Islanders with an outstanding
college education that leads to strong learning outcomes, successful degree attainment
and robust labor market outcomes.
With four campuses across Rhode Island, CCRI offers online, hybrid and in-person options
for students, meeting them where they are and helping them achieve their educational
and career goals. For more information, please visit ccri.edu/amazon.
“We’re looking forward to CCRI coming on board as an education partner for Career
Choice, adding to the hundreds of best-in-class offerings available to our employees,”
said Tammy Thieman, Global Program Lead of Amazon’s Career Choice program.
“We’re committed to empowering our employees by providing them access to the education
and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere.
We have intentionally created a partner network of third-party educators and employers
committed to providing excellent education, job placement resources, and continuous
improvements to the experience. Today, over 80,000 Amazon employees around the world
have already participated in Career Choice and we’ve seen first-hand how it can transform
their lives.”
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On Thursday, May 15, 2025, the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) celebrated a milestone achievement: its 60th Commencement Ceremony. Held at the Amica Mutual Pavilion, the event marked the culmination of CCRI’s year-long diamond anniversary celebration and was a stirring tribute to six decades of transformation, opportunity, and achievement for Rhode Islanders.
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The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is pleased to announce that it has joined the network of Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization committed to advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing, and economic mobility.
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When an opportunity presented itself, Max Hayden took it and ran with it. Hayden initially focused on behind-the-scenes work for CCRI’s theater program. But after accepting and thriving in the lead role for the school’s Yellowman production in 2023, Hayden became a fixture of the school’s theater program over the last two years.
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If you love art or science, and especially if you love both, you’ll want to visit CCRI’s Lincoln Campus this month. Throughout the spring, CCRI Art & Design students collaborated with CCRI STEM professors and students to create original, science-inspired art projects. Funded by a $15,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR initiative, this collaboration highlights creative potential that emerges when these two disciplines meet.
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Nearly 30 years after beginning his CCRI education, 76-year-old Ed McGuirl is about to check the final box on his long, fascinating résumé. In the mid-1990s, the Jamestown resident studied at CCRI to pursue a social services degree that would complement his work as a substance-abuse treatment professional. But a busy work schedule forced McGuirl to indefinitely pause his studies – until now.
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Warwick, RI -- Samantha Lescarbeau knew she would experience one life-changing event at CCRI commencement. But she never expected what would happen after she walked across the stage at Amica Mutual Pavillion on May 15.
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Warwick, RI -- The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announced the winners of its 2025 Student Film Festival following a weekend of cinematic talent and storytelling. The festival kicked off with a red-carpet gala on Friday, May 10, and continued on Saturday, May 11, with a full day of student film screenings. The event drew students, faculty, and local film lovers to celebrate the achievements of CCRI’s talented filmmakers.
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Warwick, RI – The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) will launch the next phase of work-based learning to increase internships for students to work directly in workplace environments, gaining valuable skills and experience necessary for college and career success.
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May 20, 2025
A partnership between the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) and Delta Dental of Rhode Island (DDRI) is building a pipeline of highly trained, workforce-ready dental hygienists to respond to a nationwide demand for dental hygienists and lay the groundwork for a stronger, more sustainable oral healthcare system in Rhode Island.
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May 16, 2025
On Thursday, May 15, 2025, the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) celebrated a milestone achievement: its 60th Commencement Ceremony. Held at the Amica Mutual Pavilion, the event marked the culmination of CCRI’s year-long diamond anniversary celebration and was a stirring tribute to six decades of transformation, opportunity, and achievement for Rhode Islanders.