Advance your career with our flexible training program
Merit America is proud to partner with Amazon Career Choice and ACC to help you gain the hands-on skills needed for a career in semiconductor and advanced manufacturing
Use your Career Choice benefit to break into Semiconductor Manufacturing
Merit America is on a mission to build a scalable pathway for workers to launch new careers. Austin Community College (ACC) is the instructional lead for this program, and you’ll earn an industry-recognized credential from ACC and the SEMI Foundation in as little as 14 weeks, with the flexibility you need as an Amazon worker. ACC delivers the curriculum and labs, and you can earn college credit directly with ACC; your Merit America coach supports you during and after the program.
Our fast, flexible programs are built for working adults like you. We start by analyzing tens of millions of job postings to identify high-paying careers, and then train for these roles with part-time programs that combine flexible online learning with best-in-class coaching.
Finally, we connect you with a professional network—nearly 20,000 alumni across various industries—along with recruiters for top employers in the Austin market, including Tesla, NXP, and Samsung. On average, our alumni experience a $21,000 wage increase three or more months after completing the program.
Apply for Our Next CohortOur Partnership Impact
Together, Merit America and Amazon Career Choice are helping associates across the country launch new careers and unlock higher wages.
Upcoming Programs
Use your Career Choice voucher to enroll in our next cohort. Programs are fast, flexible, and focused on what employers need most.
Semiconductor & Advanced Manufacturing
Master the foundational safety, materials, and systems knowledge required for entry into modern manufacturing. Earn a credential certified by Austin Community College and the SEMI Foundation.
Real-life wage gains
The majority of our alumni provide outcome data and report an average annual wage gain of nearly $21,000 three or more months after completing the program — raising their average pre-program salary from $27,800 to $48,500 post-program.
Learn about our impact
Learn on your time, from anywhere, while keeping your job
This program is built for people with busy lives. Your coursework and coaching are primarily online, with just 3–4 live lab days required in person at ACC over the course of the program. Complete your online coursework between shifts, on weekends, or whatever works for your life.
Explore the program
Work with a coach dedicated to your success
Get personalized career coaching alongside your ACC coursework. You choose your own coach and can take advantage of evening and weekend availability, so you always have support when you need it — during the program and after.
Meet our coaches
Frequently Asked Questions
If the following FAQs don’t answer your questions, email careerchoice@meritamerica.org.
What is Amazon Career Choice?
Career Choice is Amazon’s education benefit that upskills blue badge employees and empowers them to pursue in-demand careers at Amazon or elsewhere.
How do I know if I’m eligible?
Career Choice programs are available to blue badge employees who have worked at least 90 days at the company. In addition, many programs have geographic restrictions. For example, the Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing program is available only to associates in the San Antonio and Austin markets.
Is the training in-person, online, or both?
The training model depends on your program of enrollment, but is delivered primarily online. For example, learning in the Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing program occurs through online coursework, with 3–4 live instruction lab days required in-person in the Austin area.
How can I apply for Amazon’s tuition coverage?
Currently, Career Choice is funding the Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing program in the Austin-San Antonio area.
Tuition coverage from Amazon depends on your available Career Choice benefit. Only programs approved by Amazon can use the Career Choice benefit.
Once accepted into a program approved by Amazon, you will receive a payment request code. You can submit payment requests through AtoZ and get reimbursed for the program based on your available yearly budget (up to $5,250 per year).
If you enroll in a program that is not covered by Amazon Career Choice, you will not receive a payment request code, and you will have the same financing options as other Merit America learners. For the general public, Merit America programs typically have a tuition of $5,700.
What kind of support will I receive during the course?
When you join Merit America, there’s a team dedicated to your success.
Your career coach helps you develop the professional skills you need to succeed in the job market, and will work with you to chart your career path.
Your squad is made of a talented people just like you, and you’ll work alongside them to complete coursework and develop projects.
Your technical coaches help you through the tough coursework, and are there to talk through assignments and debug code. For example, in the Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing program, an instructor from Austin Community College works with you to master coursework.
Your alumni coach will help you find job opportunities that match your interests and skills. We also have an employer partnerships team that sources jobs directly from employers that are made for Merit America alums.
Can you guarantee me a job?
We can’t guarantee job placement or salaries, but we do provide you with a structured training curriculum, professional career development, and dedicated job search support. Because of this, the majority of job-seeking alums are placed in new jobs within three months of completion.
How much of my tuition will Amazon Career Choice cover?
Merit America programs approved for the Amazon Career Choice benefit are offered at no cost to you. For example, the Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing program for Austin and San Antonio associates is structured so that you pay $0 out-of-pocket after you submit your Career Choice payment request.
For the general public, Merit America programs feature $5,700 in tuition, with a range of payment options available (e.g. a $0 up-front loan that you only pay back if you make $40K/year after the program).