​​​​​​​Design your career, Innovate for the future

Whether you have a college degree, a technical certification, or you're making a career transition, Innovate can help you gain the skills and experience you need for a career in technology at one of the world’s largest airlines.
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Ready to Innovate?

Innovate is a full-time, paid program where you can gain two years of on-the-job training to advance your career in technology. Whether you're an apprentice through one of our community partners or an Early Career Digital Leadership Program (ECDLP) associate, Innovate will allow you to experience different areas of the business and plan a long-term career path at United Airlines.
As an Innovate participant, you will:
Level up your skills.
You’ll have on-the-job training, immersive projects that test your abilities, and comprehensive instruction that will develop your expertise while you earn certification for in-demand skills like cybersecurity, app development, and more.
Solve United’s most complex challenges using technology.
From cloud computing to advanced analytics, you’ll build solutions that help us operate efficiently and deliver the best customer experience in the industry.
Help envision the future of the airline at our Innovation Lab.
From concept to development, your rotation with our Airshop Innovation Lab will allow you to test new ideas, fail fast, and experience what it’s really like to work in technology.

​​​​​​​Meet some of our Innovators

Flight attendant turned digital professional “United turned my dream of working in technology into a reality. The transition from flight attendant to technology was seamless and has allowed me to advocate for our frontline employees by developing new features in our internal applications that truly understand their job and lighten their workload.”

Jorge Weiss
ECDLP Associate 
i.c.stars partnership prepares candidates for takeoff
"The best thing I could've done was invest my time for 16 weeks, 12 hours a day for 5 days. Being a participant in i.c.stars allowed me the opportunity to gain on-the-job business, technical, and leadership experience. Because of this, I am on year two of my long career at this amazing company United! I am forever grateful for the ones before me that provided the blueprint for people like myself, thank you i.c.stars.”



Mariah Coleman
i.c.stars Apprentice

Discover an inspiring career with the most innovative minds in the industry

Your level of experience will help determine the right Innovate path for you.
See more
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New to tech: Apprentice
Apprentice program designed for individuals who are interested in beginning a career in technology.
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Developing your skills: Intern
Three-month summer internship allows interns to be fully immersed in our collaborative culture.
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The next level: Recent Graduate
Immersive two-year rotational program gives participants an opportunity to hone technology skills.
Get involved: our partners
Chicago-based organizations like Year Up,  i.c.stars and Catalyte work to develop leaders through a robust training program that ensures individuals gain the skills, experiences, and support they need to build a strong foundation for a career in technology. Through partnerships with these organizations and others like P33, a non-profit focused on driving growth for Chicago’s tech sector, United is uniquely positioned to help candidates build the skills they need and ensure they have a clear path to apply for a full-time position at United Airlines.

“If you are interested in technology for aviation and have the desire to build your skills, Innovate can get you started on what could be a life-long journey at United,” said Chief Information Officer and SVP Jason Birnbaum. “We’re expanding the applicant pool, which will enable United to identify and hire the best technology candidates in the business, regardless of their educational background.”
Jason Birnbaum, SVP & Chief Information Officer

People and Culture
As a global airline driven by our purpose and values, we're in the business of bringing people together.
 
Our people impact →

Benefits
To become the greatest airline, we need the greatest benefits. We offer a competitive benefits package that will keep you happy, healthy and well-traveled.

Innovate program FAQs

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Innovate is a program to build a more inclusive pipeline of early-career and early-experience technology talent at United Airlines. 

Anyone who has an interest in technology for aviation and a desire to advance their skills, regardless of their education or experience, can participate in the Innovate program. There are several ways in which you can be an Innovate candidate:

  • Following a successful 4-month immersive experience with i.c.stars or a 6-month immersive experience with Year Up, candidates will enter a 6-month apprenticeship program at United.
  • Candidates who have completed a college degree or tech certification can apply directly for the 3-month Digital Technology Summer Internship or the 2-year rotational Early Career Digital Leadership Program.

There are two pathways into Innovate: you can apply for the Early Career Digital Leadership Program (ECDLP) or we can determine what type of immersive program may be right for you. Please contact InnovatePathway@united.com.

  • Immersion: 4-month program with community partner (i.c.stars, P33 or another community partner)
  • Apprentice: 6-month contractor with intent to hire full-time; 18-months with training opportunities
  • ECDLP: 2-year rotational program; recruit candidates directly from campus and/or Apprenticeship
  • Analyst+: Full-time placement and continue growth at United

In partnership with the Learning Team, Digital Technology is also expanding our learning curriculum to offer development tracks in several areas:

  • Application Development
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data Analytics
  • Project Management
  • Product Management
  • Systems Engineering

 

If you have already completed a tech certification and you have questions about the program, please contact InnovatePathway@united.com.
Following the completion of the apprenticeship program, candidates will be placed in analyst-level roles, based on their experience and availability.