Looking to attract and retain talent in a tight job market, Amazon announced yesterday which will cover 100% of the tuition costs of its frontline employees. And Amazon isn’t alone: other big retailers, including Walmart, Target and Starbucks, they increasingly offer free education benefits as a way to stand out from competitors. Here’s a look at what they offer.
How Amazon’s new educational benefit works
Starting in January, Amazon front-line employees will pay the full costs of their college education (including fees, books, tuition), as well as costs related to completing high school or English certificates as second language.
Part-time employees who working only 20 hours a week are also eligible, although Amazon will only cover 50% costs, according to the Wall Street Journal. The program starts 90 days after an employee’s start date and there is no limit to the number of years they can use the benefit. It is important to note that Amazon will pay these tuition and fees to move forward, which means employees will not have to pay for their education in advance and apply for a refund later.
Amazon is also launching three in-house educational programs that will train employees data center technology, Information technology, user experience, and research design.
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Why do they offer this advantage now?
Amazon, which has been criticized for its working conditions i demanding quotas—He is desperate to hire and retain employees hiring more than 500,000 workers only the last year. The company has big pockets, so it is willing to invest money in exchange for a more stable workforce, even if the recipients of the registration go to other companies. It’s also a competitive move, as other large retail entrepreneurs have recently announced 100% educational benefits for their employees.
Other large retailers that offer paid education
- Last month, Walmart announced an educational program that covers 100% of tuition costs for 1.5 million part-time and full-time employees in the U.S., including those work on your Sam’s Club shops. The program is very similar to what Amazon now offers. More details can be found here.
- Goal recently announced that its 340,000 U.S. workers meet the requirements for a 100% paid college education program, which covers tuition and books for various programs. in addition to 40 schools and universities across the country. The company will also pay up to $ 10,000 a year for master’s programs within its network of schools. More information can be found here.
- Disney it also offers 100% paid tuition for full-time and part-time employees through its Disney Aspire network schools, which includes both undergraduate and graduate courses. More information can be found here.
- Papa John’s has a “Dough & Degrees” program in which employees of corporate-owned locations meet the requirements to obtain a 100% tuition refund for online undergraduate and graduate programs through a partnership with Purdue Global University. To qualify, employees must work a minimum of 20 hours per week and be employed for at least 90 days. More information can be found here.
- Chipotle offers free university tuition to earn degrees in agriculture, cooking and hospitality through a network of accredited universities and colleges. To be eligible, employees must have worked at least four months in the workplace, with a minimum of 15 hours per week. More information can be found here.
- Starbucks will pay the full cost of an online degree at Arizona State University for American employees who work at least 20 hours a week. According to the Wall Street Journal, there are 50 areas of study, ranging from art history to town planning. More information can be found here.