#39 Amazon UK Boss: Make Work Experience Mandatory for Over-16s

Amazon's UK boss has called for work experience to be made mandatory for everyone aged sixteen and over, describing it as "the most transformative thing" he has seen for young people entering the workforce. John Boumphrey argues that the education system is not producing work-ready school leavers and that the blame should fall on the system rather than on young people themselves. The cost of living crisis and its effect on retail pricing is a constant theme. Just this week the govenment called on supermarkets to cap the price of some goods to help consumers. Boumphrey - who is the UK Country Manager - sets out how Amazon aims to match the lowest price among national competitors and resists the suggestion that government intervention could do a better job than competitive markets. He acknowledges the impact of National Insurance increases and global disruption, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, on business costs, while insisting these have not yet fed through to customer prices. Amazon's record as a supplier is challenged directly. The Groceries Code Adjudicator ranks Amazon worst among retailers for supplier complaints, and Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon, accepts the company has "a lot more to do," particularly around delayed payments in its grocery division. He points to recent changes including named contacts for every grocery supplier. A pilot drone delivery service in Darlington, the first outside the United States, is delivering products within two hours. Boumphrey suggests the service will initially suit rural and remote areas rather than city centres, and expects the timescale to shorten towards thirty-minute delivery. The conversation addresses the near-miss union recognition vote at Amazon's Coventry warehouse, where the result fell just short of the threshold. Boumphrey says he personally values the existence of unions but prefers direct engagement with employees, adding that if workers choose union recognition, the company will comply. Amazon's UK tax contribution of more than five point eight billion pounds is set out, though Boumphrey resists calls to publish a standalone corporation tax figure, citing the volatility of that number during periods of heavy investment. He also addresses illegal streaming on Fire Stick devices, confirming that sideloading has been restricted on newer products and that Amazon is working with a global anti-piracy coalition. And could Ai soon be ordering your shopping for you? Amazon is piloting a service in the United States called Buy For Me, where an AI agent can purchase products on a customer's behalf — buying items automatically when they hit a specified price, without the customer needing to place the order themselves. Boumphrey confirms there are no immediate plans to bring it to the UK but describes it as part of a broader shift in how retail is evolving. Boumphrey acknowledges the responsibility that comes with holding a customer's payment details and acting on their behalf, but stresses that the customer remains in control at every stage. Presenter: Sean Farrington Producer: Olie D'Albertanson Editor: Henry Jones 03:44 Cost of living & pricing 05:00 Government & price intervention 15:15 Supplier complaints & Groceries Code 21:48 AI, Alexa Plus & agentic shopping 25:53 Drone delivery in Darlington 29:40 Robots, automation & the jobs market 31:28 Mandatory work experience & skills crisis 37:08 Union recognition & Coventry vote 42:46 Tax transparency 45:48 Fire Stick piracy