Amazon is taking steps to bridge the gender gap in technology by opening applications for the next cohort of the Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) Scholarship Program. The programme provides comprehensive support to 500 female students pursuing undergraduate degrees in computer science engineering or related fields.
Our goal is to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity, ensuring that deserving girl students, especially those from the underrepresented communities have the resources and support they need to excel in their engineering careers.
“We have seen many instances where parents have prioritised a son’s education, due to lack of resources. We’d like to encourage all eligible girl students to seize this opportunity to advance their careers in engineering and technology," he said, adding, "We are excited to see the impact of our earlier cohorts and will continue empowering young women in India.”
The AFE impact
According to Akanksha Pandey, an AFE scholar from the first cohort (class of 2021-2025), which was announced in 2022, the AFE scholarship helped her ease the financial burden on her father. “My father is a small-scale farmer in Bara Daulatpur, a village near Kanpur, UP. After completing my school, I secured an admission at IIIT, Vadodara. My father was struggling to manage our household expenditure along with my younger brother’s education; the AFE scholarship helped ease that burden,” she said, adding, “In addition, AFE also helped me improve my technical skill. When I was selected for the internship at Amazon, my father and I went to Bengaluru for the orientation. As we entered Amazon’s office, he had tears in his eyes. It felt like our collective dreams had come true.”
What is Amazon Future Engineer?
Amazon Future Engineer is Amazon’s signature computer science education programme designed to offer all young people the chance to build their best future, inspiring and educating millions of students globally. Through the programme, Amazon reaches millions of students from historically underrepresented communities globally. Amazon Future Engineer provides real-world inspired virtual and hands-on computer science project learning. The programme is available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, and India.
Since its inception, the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Program has supported over 1,200 young women, providing them with the tools and opportunities to succeed. The scholarship programme has successfully placed 198 interns in various roles within Amazon.
The AFE internship programme typically spans 8 weeks, and the first batch of interns was onboarded on May 29, 2023. They were selected after undergoing an assessment before being matched to job roles based on their skills and interests. They then got an opportunity to intern with Amazon and also got the chance to work on some of Amazon’s groundbreaking technologies and core platforms, like Alexa voice technology, Amazon Web Services, and the Amazon retail platform.
What does Amazon Future Engineer scholarship entail?
Each selected scholar will receive a scholarship of ₹200,000, disbursed over four years, to help offset educational expenses. Beyond financial support, the programme offers a holistic development plan that includes:
- Mentorship and guidance from Amazon employees which provide career counselling to the scholars and help them navigate their academic and professional journey.
- Skill Enhancement through a 10-month technical bootcamp designed to equip students with in-demand industry skills and prepare them for successful careers.
- Practical Experience through early career paid internships at Amazon (after 2nd year), providing hands-on experience in various engineering roles and exposure to real-world challenges.
Who will make the cut?
To identify the most promising candidates, Amazon has partnered with the Foundation for Excellence (FFE) to conduct a rigorous evaluation process. Scholarships will be awarded based on a combination of academic merit, financial need, and demonstrated leadership potential. Each scholar will also receive a laptop to facilitate their studies and projects.
What’s the selection process for Amazon Future Engineer
- Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee comprising representatives from Amazon and FFE.
- Shortlisted candidates will undergo a rigorous evaluation process, including academic records, essays, and interviews.
- Final selections will be based on a holistic assessment of the candidate's qualifications and potential.
Applications for the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Program are now open and will close on October 31, 2024. The selected scholars will be announced by January 2025. For more information visit the Amazon Future Engineer website.
In addition to the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship Program, Amazon also offered over 1,050 scholarships to children of driver associates from class 3-12 in 2023 as part of the Pratidhi scholarship programme. These scholars were shortlisted based on their socio-economic parameters. Introduced in 2022, Pratidhi is an indirect financial support focused on drivers’ families where the provision of scholarships for their children is offered to support their education.
