‘I had no idea what I was doing at 18 – now I’m running teams at Amazon’: Swansea apprentice shares her journey

Sara Evans, who works as an Area Manager at Amazon’s Swansea fulfilment centre, is sharing her experience during National Apprenticeship Week 2026. Amazon says it hopes stories like hers will encourage more people to consider apprenticeships.

Sara joined the company in 2014, straight out of school. “I literally had no idea about anything back then,” she said. “I’d ordered loads from Amazon, but I didn’t know how it worked behind the scenes. As soon as I started, I thought, ‘this is pretty cool’.”

According to Amazon, Sara began as a stower before her team leader spotted her potential and put her forward for extra training. She went on to become first‑aid trained, fire‑marshal trained and an instructor, before moving into team leadership.

Sara Evans on the warehouse floor at Amazon’s Swansea site during daily operations at the fulfilment centre.
(Image: Amazon)

Sara said her first apprenticeship helped her secure a permanent team leader role, which she held for several years before stepping up into management. When Amazon offered a higher‑level apprenticeship through the University of Exeter Business School, she applied immediately.

“The self‑awareness I’ve gained has been huge,” she said. “As a manager, earning people’s trust is everything. The apprenticeship goes really in‑depth on that.”

Sara said the best part of the job is the people she works with. “You’ve got to be honest and open with the team, and then it all works. Everyone wants to work for you and you work as one big unit.”

She added that she had always wanted to go to university but couldn’t afford to reduce her hours. “I can do this while I’m working. Why wouldn’t you do it? There are no negatives.”

Sara is due to complete her Operations Management Higher Apprenticeship in March 2026. She said she’s keeping her options open for the future, adding that Amazon offers “so many different fields” she could move into.

Her advice to anyone considering an apprenticeship is simple: “Just do it. It’s a no‑brainer.”

Amazon says its apprenticeship programme is ranked among the UK’s top three by the Department for Education. The company also says pay starts from £13.95 to £14.96 an hour depending on location, with benefits worth more than £700 a year.

Applications for 2026 are now open at amazonapprenticeships.co.uk.

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Amazon says £2.4bn investment has boosted Wales — with Swansea at the centre

Swansea’s role in the global giant

In Swansea, Amazon operates two major sites: an Idea’s Centre, one of just four in the UK, where teams work on projects for Prime Video, Alexa and the online shopping platform; and a Distribution Centre, part of the company’s vast logistics network. Together, they show how the city is plugged into both the creative and operational sides of Amazon’s global business.

Jobs, apprenticeships and training

Since 2010, Amazon says it has created more than 2,000 full and part‑time jobs across Wales. The report also highlights that 90 apprentices from Wales have graduated through its apprenticeship programme, while more than 430 people have taken part in career development and skills training initiatives.

David Marcok, from Amazon in Swansea, said the company is keen to show its impact beyond the balance sheet: “In 2025 so far, our team has collaborated with organisations including Save the Children and Wales Air Ambulance through volunteer engagement, product contributions and direct financial assistance.”

Community partnership with Faith in Families

One of the most visible local partnerships has been with Faith in Families, the Swansea charity behind the Cwtch Mawr Multibank. The hub redistributes surplus essentials — from school uniforms and hygiene products to bedding and baby kits — to families across Swansea Bay struggling with the cost‑of‑living crisis.

Amazon’s Swansea team has supported the initiative by donating thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies, packing baby kits worth more than £10,000, and helping Faith in Families expand into a larger warehouse in Llansamlet to meet rising demand. The charity says this support has been vital in reaching families who would otherwise go without.

Cwtch Mawr Multibank in Swansea(Image: Alistair Heap / PA Wire)

National expansion plans

The report comes as Amazon announces a £40 billion UK investment between 2025 and 2027, including four new fulfilment centres and upgrades to more than 100 existing sites. Thousands of new jobs are promised, with most outside London and the South East.

Amazon already employs more than 75,000 people in the UK, making it one of the country’s largest private sector employers.

Tax contributions — and the debate they spark

Amazon’s report states its total UK tax contribution in 2024 was £5.8 billion, including £1 billion in taxes it directly paid and £4.7 billion collected on behalf of government.

The company stresses it ranks among the UK’s top taxpayers. But critics argue that much of the total comes from taxes collected from customers and employees, rather than corporation tax on profits. Campaigners have long questioned whether multinationals like Amazon contribute fairly compared to smaller businesses, pointing to allowances and incentives that reduce taxable profits in the short term.

Amazon says such allowances are government policy designed to encourage investment and innovation. The debate highlights a wider tension: while Amazon’s spending creates jobs and infrastructure, questions remain about whether the tax system lets global giants contribute proportionately to the public purse.

The Amazon logo displayed on the exterior of the Swansea Distribution Centre, a key hub in the company’s UK logistics network.

Skills and community impact

Beyond jobs and tax, Amazon points to its role in skills development. Its apprenticeship levy transfers have supported more than 1,500 apprenticeships outside the company, while its Career Choice programme has helped over 23,000 UK employees retrain in high‑demand fields. In Wales, more than 430 people have benefited from career development initiatives since 2010.

Locally, the partnership with Faith in Families shows how Amazon’s presence in Swansea is also tied to community resilience — helping families under pressure while anchoring the city in the company’s wider UK operations.

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