Target will pay 100% of tuition fees for all 340,000 of its employees

Target just pledged to pay 100% of tuition and textbooks for over 340,000 employees

Like we need another reason to love Target. Our favorite store – the land of popcorn-scented shopping for cute but affordable clothes, Pinterest-worthy holiday decor, and the Promised Land: $ 1 trash cans – is doing it again. In addition to being a large retailer genuinely committed to social justice, Target has just announced another worthy position: it is launching a “debt-free education initiative” which means the company will pay the costs. fees and textbooks for all its employees who go to school.

Target is in partnership with Guild Education to give employees the ability to choose from 250 programs at more than 40 U.S. schools and universities where they can study, including historically black colleges and universities such as Morehouse College and Paul Quinn College. Target will foot the entire bill, including tuition and textbook costs, for any of its more than 340,000 employees, whether they work full-time or part-time. The program is offered to employees of stores, distribution centers and head offices.

What’s even better is that the program doesn’t just cover tuition fees. Targeted workers can access funding for high school programs, college preparation, English language learning, and various certificates and bootcamps. Students can even access up to $ 10,000 in funding for master’s programs.

“A significant number of hourly members of our team are building their careers at Target, and we know many would like to pursue additional training opportunities,” Melissa Kremer, Director of Human Resources at Target, said in a press release. “We don’t want cost to be a barrier for anyone, and this is where Target can step in to make education accessible to everyone. Our team members are at the heart of Target’s strategy and success, and we have a long history of investing in industry-leading compensation, extensive benefits and career opportunities to help our team thrive and have rewarding careers at Target.

In a press releaseTarget has pledged to invest $ 200 million in the program over the next four years.

In an interview with CNBC, Guild Education CEO Rachel Carlson explained why more and more large retailers are offering to cover training costs as a standard benefit for their employees.

“We have reached a point where employers, and truly the most innovative employers, realize that the best thing they can do to differentiate themselves as a company and as an employer is to provide economic mobility,” an upgrade and the opportunity to acquire more skills. and grow within a company or eventually move on, ”she said. “We are seeing companies that provide training… are winning the talent war. “