Amazon Debuts Academic Program, 401(k)s for DSPs

Amazon has announced two new value-added services to add benefits for delivery service partners (DSPs), a press release said.

One of them is Next Mile, an academic program letting drivers access various schooling and study courses. And the other is a 401(k) program, allowing small business owners a way to match employee contributions.

Next Mile will let DSPs offer drivers a way to learn new skills and achieve career aspirations, boasting various technical training and upskilling opportunities, GEDs and degree programs at institutions all over the country. It will be available to all participating DSPs as of January 2023.

Meanwhile, the 401(k) program will see Amazon providing DSPs $60 million in the first year to offset the costs for the DSPs matching employee contributions.

In addition, there will be rate increases for DSPs helping add competitive pay, totaling an over $450 million investment overall in the next year.

The eCommerce giant said these developments continue “its commitment to providing access to the tools and resources small businesses need to build thriving teams, while helping drivers reach their career aspirations.”

“Through the DSP program, small businesses around the world have generated over $26 billion in revenue for their companies since launching four years ago,” said Parisa Sadrzadeh, vice president of Amazon’s Worldwide Delivery Service Partner Program. “We couldn’t have done that without DSPs and their incredible teams. We will continue to innovate with them and use our economies of scale and resources to help them provide best-in-class offerings to their employees. Investing in our DSPs means that we are continuing to invest in communities nationwide. I can’t wait to see the future success stories of what these drivers achieve.”

PYMNTS wrote recently that Amazon has also been debuting a number of promotions to promote its Thursday Night Football streaming.

Read more: Amazon Piles on the Prime Perks to Kick off Thursday Night Football Coverage

The promotions will include deals and VIP experiences for Prime members. And Amazon has rolled out a page to selling Thursday Night Football-related products such as drinkware, home electronics and NFL-licensed apparel.

“Live sports continue to be a game changer for Prime members,” Vice President of Amazon Prime Jamil Ghani said in the release. “It’s now easier than ever for members to sit back and stream live football at amazon.com or on-the-go with the Prime Video app.”