At Wegmans, an upscale grocery chain in upstate New York, shoppers are used to being pampered. What customers may not realize is that Wegmans sees its workers as special, too – particularly those who come up through its Work-Scholarship Connection program. The program – now more than a decade old – fosters academic achievement and promotes career success among students in underfunded urban schools.
Cigna Corp., the global health benefits firm, is justifiably proud of its tuition-reimbursement program. The program is markedly generous to Cigna workers, providing an annual tuition subsidy of as much as $10,000 to undergraduates and $12,000 to graduate students. But the program aids the company, too – and Cigna has the numbers to prove it. Research shows that it generates a handsome financial return on investment while also boosting employee loyalty.
National drugstore chain CVS Health gives low-income workers a leg up on the career ladder – and fills a pressing need – through an innovative apprenticeship program. The program, now in its 14th year, prepares low-income job seekers for careers as pharmacy technicians. Workers learn while they earn, and their initial jobs often lead to management positions in the company’s nearly 10,000 retail stores. In 2017, CVS employed 4,600 apprenticeship-trained pharmacy techs and managers in 12 states.
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Chris Mulford was deployed to Jordan and Kuwait with the North Carolina Army National Guard when he decided he needed to plan for the future.
AUSTIN, Texas—Marcia McCallum graduated from high school in 1983. She decided to continue her education 29 years later. A lot of life happened in between.
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—When Rodney Owens graduated from high school in 1991, his choice seemed clear: go to a four-year college or get a job. Now, decades later, he realizes there are other options, and he’s made it his mission to let young high school graduates know that.
SEATTLE—Cesar Ivan Fernandez always thought that if he could get back to school, his life would be better. After dropping out of college, working in several jobs, moving frequently, getting married and trying for years to clarify his immigration status, Fernandez returned to school in 2015 at Seattle Central College. He is now on track […]
STANLEY, N.C.—Nicholas Kwiatkowski gave his younger brother, Lukas, his first job. Lukas later returned the favor, showing Nick a path to a career.
AUSTIN, Texas—Sometimes it just takes a change of scene to change a life. Just ask José Cancino.
SEATTLE—Maliaka White was scared. A single mother of two, she suddenly found herself out of work. That’s when she decided she would try again—for the fourth time—to further her education.