Last August, the American Opportunity Index (AOI) published its Best Places for High School Graduates to Start a Career. Its list of the top 50 employers for high school graduates recognizes that the opportunity to climb the career-advancement ladder for young people in entry-level jobs has a tremendous impact on their career trajectories and future earning potential. The list was based on how well companies perform in three metrics: hiring entry-level workers, promoting them internally, and preparing them for better opportunities when they leave.
The report got us thinking: what do these companies do to grow and develop talent from within their ranks, especially for entry-level workers like recent high school grads? To what extent do they support their employees in completing education and training beyond high school, whether to climb the employer’s career ladder or embark on a new career outside of the company? How does supporting employees’ career growth through higher education benefit the company overall? And what take-aways from these companies can we apply in Florida to cultivate the talent we need for the state’s long-term economic prosperity?
We dug a little deeper into some of the top companies on the list and noticed a common feature among many of them: degree and certificate programs offered at no cost to their employees—and with no strings attached—many linked to opportunities for career growth.
Some of the AOI-recognized companies have been widely touted for their innovative employee education programs. For example, Starbucks, which ranked 10th on the list, launched its College Achievement Plan in partnership with Arizona State University in 2014. The employee benefit provides 100% tuition coverage at ASU in over 150 online and flexible bachelor’s degree programs. All tuition and fees are covered through a combination of a Starbucks Scholarship, need-based financial aid (such as Pell grants), and the Starbucks tuition benefit.
On the program’s 10th anniversary, Starbucks reported that over 15,000 employees have graduated since the program’s inception. 20% of these graduates are first-generation college students, 75% show career growth after graduation, nearly 90% of U.S. stores have at least one employee in the program, and nearly 90% of participants believe the program had a positive impact on their future career.
Other companies with postsecondary education programs for employees similarly report strong outcomes. For example:
- Chipotle (ranked #1 on the AOI list), in partnership with Guild Education, offers debt-free education with over 100 types of degrees offered through ten universities. The company has found that its employee retention rate is two times higher among those enrolled in the program, and participating crew members are six times more likely to move into management roles within the company.
- PNC Financial Services Group (ranked #5) enables employees to pursue undergraduate and master’s degrees, professional certificates, bootcamps, and other programs that help them build skills important to the company. Through PNC Guild, more than 400 programs from over 30 schools, colleges, and universities are available. High school completion, college prep classes, and English language learning courses are also available. Additionally, PNC offers $5,250 per year for tuition reimbursement for approved programs outside of the Guild catalog. As of June 2024, more than 9,000 PNC employees had registered to pursue a degree or certificate, and 2,400 had completed one to date.
- Target’s (#12 on the list) Dream to Be program offers employees 100% tuition paid in over 250 select programs from over 40 schools, colleges, and universities. Full-time and part-time team members are eligible to participate from day one on the job. Programs include high school completion, English language learning, college prep, bootcamps, certificates, undergraduate programs, and master’s degrees. Launched in 2021, at its two-year point Target reported that hourly team members enrolled in the program had a 70% lower turnover rate and a promotion rate that was three times higher compared to those not enrolled. Additionally, 90% of Target Dream to Be learners are frontline team members.
- Walmart’s (#13 on the list) LiveBetterU also provides employees the opportunity for education and skills training programs, at no cost, in programs that enable them to advance their careers through in-demand jobs at the company. 100% of the cost of tuition and books is covered for part- and full-time Walmart and Sam’s Club employees from their first day of employment. The online programming, offered in partnership with Guild, includes English language learning, high school completion, college prep, short-form certificates, professional certificates, and bachelor’s degrees. At the program’s five-year mark, Walmart reported that it has saved associates nearly half a billion dollars in college tuition costs, with more than 104,000 associates participating in the U.S.
These are just a few of the companies that have gone well beyond tuition reimbursement programs to make education beyond high school—and with it, career success—accessible, affordable, and achievable to hundreds of thousands of American workers who might have otherwise missed out on the opportunity. By growing talent from within their ranks, these employers are strengthening their workforce, creating opportunities for career growth, and ultimately, benefitting the communities that their employees call home.
There is no dispute that a postsecondary education leads to big gains for individuals, communities, businesses, and Florida as a whole. As recently reported by the Helios Education Foundation, increasing Florida’s postsecondary enrollment by just 10 percent would generate $8.38 billion annually for the state. The Florida Chamber of Commerce reports that Florida’s Top 30 High Demand Careers all require education beyond high school—43% of them requiring bachelor’s degrees. Indeed, at least 70 percent of Florida jobs are anticipated to require education beyond high school by as soon as 2031.
Florida employers who cultivate workforce talent through education opportunities like those recognized by the American Opportunity Index deserve to be celebrated for their contributions in making Florida Talent Strong.
We want to learn more about Florida companies that are going above and beyond to create pathways to career growth through higher education. We want to know about the companies that partner with colleges, universities, schools, and organizations to provide opportunities for education beyond high school to their employees.
Tell us about your employer-education partnerships and how they are impacting workers’ career trajectories and the company’s talent pool. We want to tell your stories and celebrate your contributions to workers’—and Florida’s—future prosperity.
Join us, May 5-7, at the Talent Strong Florida Summit in Orlando, FL to keep the conversation going or contact us at fcan@floridacollegeaccess.org.