Target will cover 100% of college tuition for its workers

[libertybele]

Target will cover 100% of college tuition for its workers

Target has announced that it will begin paying the college tuition and textbook expenses for its US-based part-time and full-time employees who attend select schools.
The retail giant is following the lead of other large US companies offering more benefits to attract and retain talent in a tight job market.
Starting as early as their first day on the job, more than 340,000 employees at Target stores and distribution centers will now be able to choose from 250 programs at over 40 schools and universities across the country, and they won't have to pay a dollar, Target said in a news release.

"A significant number of our hourly team members build their careers at Target, and we know many would like to pursue additional education opportunities," Melissa Kremer, chief human resources officer at Target, said in a statement. "We don't want the cost to be a barrier for anyone, and that's where Target can step in to make education accessible for everyone.".............

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/07/business/target-cover-free-college-tuition-employees-trnd/index.html

[Slide Rule]

Wonder what the paperwork looks like. Retention is the goal? Nah. It looks more
like a we are hiring job ad.

I am an engineer. If I were starting over, what would my retention be if Target
paid for it?

Restrictions? Bet they are aplenty. The clue is attend select schools.

Another marketing ploy. And today, just what would you be learning as a non
engineering major?

Biased? Ya. I have had unsatisfactory dealings with them.

Still if it is an educational chance with a real education for the student, have at it.

[PeteS in CA]

Employee retention? Obviously, since employee turn-over is expensive and existing employees are willing to look elsewhere. Recruiting? Probably, since Target would gladly skim excellent employees from competitors. High qualification and continuance standards? Obviously, since that is the norm with other employers with tuition benefits.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out for Target over the long term, especially since most employees availing themselves of this benefit will be studying majors with career paths leading them out of Target.

[GtHawk]

I wonder just how much Target will increase their prices to provide this benefit to their employees? I seriously doubt they will taking it out of corporate profits so just like social programs that democrats love to create. At least at Target people have a choice, unlike taxpayers, they can just shop elsewhere.

[Slide Rule]

I wonder just how much Target will increase their prices to provide this benefit to their employees? I seriously doubt they will taking it out of corporate profits so just like social programs that democrats love to create. At least at Target people have a choice, unlike taxpayers, they can just shop elsewhere.

I stopped shopping at Target about 20 years back.
I haven't entered either.

I did send their president letters which basically copied
my expenditures at their competitors.

It wasn't a big deal but a significant amount because I
had been a regular customer.

Wonder if he read it.

[Wingnut]

It is my opinion it would be a better plan to offer tuition reimbursement to employees. If you have skin in the game it motivates.  Free has no value. 

[libertybele]

It is my opinion it would be a better plan to offer tuition reimbursement to employees. If you have skin in the game it motivates.  Free has no value.

Absolutely true., but  FREE attracts employees (maybe).  Everywhere I go lately, there are signs displaying "now hiring". People would rather sit back collect money and do nothing rather than work for a living. 

[Wingnut]

Absolutely true., but  FREE attracts employees (maybe).  Everywhere I go lately, there are signs displaying "now hiring". People would rather sit back collect money and do nothing rather than work for a living.

The hand out generation expects it.

[libertybele]

The hand out generation expects it.

Indeed it does. That's never going to change unless the liberal mentality and mindset that is entrenched in their minds through the liberal school system is stopped.  That mindset has only been reinforced by the pandemic handouts.

[thackney]

The only reason they are doing this was in the last sentence of the article:

Last week, Walmart, America's largest retailer, announced it will pay for full college tuition and book costs at some schools for its US workers.

[libertybele]

The only reason they are doing this was in the last sentence of the article:

We'll see how many employees they attract that will actually apply themselves.  Paying for an education to me should be enticing, but how many will actually work and then want to buckle down and study afterwards??

[sneakypete]

@libertybele

Not really a surprise after thinking about it for a minutue. I live in a rural area and the nearest Hardees and McDonalds are 12 miles away. The lobby in both have been closed all weekend,with signs on the doors saying it was due to a worker shortage.

Think about this one for a minute. In a rural area with no public transportaton and the nearest small city over 25 miles away,fast food restuarants in one of the few areas close to housing developements can't even hire high school kids to work part time for 12 bucks an hour.

I have a friend with a commercial garage,and he used to have two employees helping him that mostly did stuff like tire work,taking stuff apart,cleaning up,etc,etc,etc. They were mechanic trainees  trying to learn a trade.

For over a year now he has been trying to run it by himself,working 12+ hours a day 7 days a week,and still falling behind.
 He has put ads in papers trying to hire mechanics or mechanic trainees,and he tells me he gets a lot of calls from people who tell him "Sorry,I can't work for so little money. I am getting paid more now to not work,and I'd lose that."

He is eventually going to have to shut his doors because it is flat out too much for one man to do by himself,and if he were to go to appointments and only bringing in the work he could handle himself,he would go out of business because it just wouldn't be enough money to handle the overhead and allow him some profit. Maybe if he were 30 and healthy,but he is close to 60 and still recovering from cancer.

A farmer friend has the same problem. There used to be a group of slackers who would rather continue to live with mama than work a steady job that he could hire when it was time to plant or harvest for cash money as day laborers. They too are getting the "stay home money".

This is happening to one degree or another all over the country. Sooner or later the bill is going to come due,and there will be nobody with the means to pay it.

It's  hard to hire people to work when the government pays them more to stay home.

[PeteS in CA]

Some highlights from Target's announcement, https://corporate.target.com/press/releases/2021/08/Target-Launching-Debt-Free-Education-Assistance-Pr :

* Some 40 institutions are part of this, not any/every college/university in the US;

* The no out-of-pocket "Debt-Free Education" is for "business-aligned programs"; outside of those fields, tuition assistance is limited to $5250/year for undergraduate degrees and $10000/year for Masters degrees;

* Textbooks are included.

I saw no mention of a tie between payments for a semester or year being tied to remaining at Target for some time period afterward (which is common), but the announcement linked above doesn't go very deep into "fine print" details.

[Kamaji]

There is almost certainly a tax angle here as well.  Most likely, Target gets to deduct the entire amount of the educational expense, but the employee doesn't have to include any of it in taxable income.  So, basically, it amounts to a significant government-subsidized educational plan.

[unite for individuality]

Target's information about the program is at

https://corporate.target.com/article/2021/08/target-tuition-assistance

Target is working with Guild Education to distribute the money.

https://www.guildeducation.com/

Guild Education is an employee benefit management company, specializing in education benefits.
They are working to grow their company
by partnering with growing lists of employers and colleges.

I have to wonder if this tuition assistance is funded entirely by the employers,
or if there might be government programs that contribute money.
I would think that the financial assistance office at each college would be involved.
That's usually how government and not for profit foundation money flows into colleges.

Guild Education's executives and board members can be seen at this page:

https://www.guildeducation.com/leadership/