Walmart offers near-free college tuition to employees seeking training in health specialties – Modern Healthcare
Walmart will offer nearly-free college training to its workers who want to become healthcare professionals as the giant retailer moves to expand its delivery of healthcare services.
Starting Monday, Walmart’s 1.5 million U.S. employees can apply for one of seven bachelor’s degrees and two career diplomas—as pharmacy technicians or opticians—for a total out-of-pocket cost of $1 per day. The company will cover the cost of tuition, books and fees and provide counseling support.
Executives said they hope the program will help the company fill healthcare jobs at Walmart and Sam’s Club, which operate more than 5,000 retail pharmacies, 3,000 vision centers, 400 hearing centers, and the first-ever Walmart Health center in Dallas, Ga.
“Walmart aims to be the market leader in providing retail workers a path to careers in growing fields like healthcare,” said Drew Holler, senior vice president of associate experience for Walmart U.S.