Walmart, the retail company, has launched an education assistance programme for its full-time employees to attend an accredited college or university in Canada, with $2,500 per year. Those staff members who choose to go to Ontario’s Humber College or its affiliated institutes will be given an additional 20 per cent.
The average annual tuition fee in Canadian colleges is about $2,700, and Walmart’s initiative will almost cover one year’s tuition, with special preference to Humber. The tuition fee is much higher in Ontario.
While the programme does not offer the $2500 reimbursement to permanent-part time employees and family members of full-time employees, it does offer to pay back 20 per cent of the tuition fee to them if they attend Humber.
Humber, which has three campuses, is Canada’s biggest college and caters to over 55,000 students.
The ‘AdvancED’ initiative by Walmart is aimed at ensuring that its staff members and their families are able to fulfill their dreams and also be ready for the future through flexible and life-long learning facilities.
The colleges and universities that Walmart has tied up with will help employees in not just enrolling but also selecting courses, and receiving academic counselling.
The programme will enable employees to earn course credits for on-the-job-training and experience, which will facilitate faster course completion.
In the US too Walmart employees who have completed at least three months in the Company have the option to enroll for business management or supply chain management courses by making a nominal contribution of one dollar a day towards their tuition fee.
