Target to Offer Debt-Free Education Program to Team Members

• Over 40,000 full-time and part-time Target employees will soon have access to debt-free education.
• The company partnered with education and upskilling platform Guild Education to offer more than 250 business-aligned programs from over 40 academic institutions.
• Target will be investing $200 million in the program over the next four years.

Target team members in the U.S. will soon have access to debt-free education thanks to the company’s new education assistance program.

This fall, over 340,000 full-time and part-time employees will have access to undergraduate and associates degrees, bootcamp programs, certificates, textbooks, fees, and many others for free.

More than 250 business-aligned programs from over 40 schools, colleges, and universities will be made available, made in partnership with education and upskilling platform Guild Education.

For non-master’s degrees, Target will directly pay the academic institution up to $5,250. For master’s programs, Target will pay up to $10,000 annually.

Over the next four years, Target will be investing $200 million in the program. The program will be part of its Target Forward sustainability strategy commitment, which aims to promote access to education while eliminating student debt for its team.

Target’s chief human resources officer, Melissa Kremer, stated, “A significant number of our hourly team members build their careers at Target, and we know many would like to pursue additional education opportunities. We don’t want the cost to be a barrier for anyone, and that’s where Target can step in to make education accessible for everyone.”

There will be a lot of options as well. Team members can choose to complete high school, prep for college, improve their English language skills, attend bootcamps, or earn certificates, certifications, associate, and undergraduate degrees.

Employees can also choose from several academic institutions, such as Oregon State University, the University of Arizona, and historically Black colleges and universities like Paul Quinn College and Morehouse College, while taking their interests, schedules, and career goals into consideration.

Just last year, Target also raised its starting wage to $15 per hour for all U.S. team members.

Source: Good News Network