​​​​​​​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 given me the opportunity to advocate for our frontline employees by developing new features in our internal applications that truly understand their job and lighten their workload. Perhaps even more importantly, I've been able to participate in the conversations that seek to make our hiring process more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.”

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
Get involved: our partners
Chicago-based organizations like Year Up and i.c.stars 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 inclusive 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

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

Our path forward →

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.