Grants serve as first investment by the company and its foundation as
part of larger $100 million commitment to create economic mobility for
the U.S. retail workforce
WASHINGTON -- (Business Wire)
Today, at the National
Opportunity Summit in Washington, D.C., Walmart and the Walmart
Foundation will announce an initial investment of $16 million to
seven national nonprofit organizations, as part of a new Opportunity
initiative, a $100 million commitment to help increase the economic
mobility of entry level workers in retail and adjacent sectors. This
significant investment aims to address some fundamental challenges to
advancement, including the skills gap among U.S. workers. The $100
million commitment was first announced last week by Walmart President
and CEO Doug McMillon, in conjunction with the roll out of new
opportunities and enhanced benefits for Walmart associates.
“We are delighted that Walmart is among the growing group of employers
investing in education and employment opportunities for workers across
the country," said Russell Krumnow, managing director of Opportunity
Nation. “The National Opportunity Summit is an event where leaders
from all sectors can come together around shared ideas to restore
opportunity in America, and commit to action that will transform our
businesses, communities and our country."
The skills gap among workers is a pressing issue facing the United
States today. According to the Bridge
the Gap report published by Harvard Business School, 51 percent of
retailers find it difficult to fill middle-skills roles.
“We have been working in the dark for too long as we try to address the
skills gap among U.S. workers. Now is the time for corporations,
educators, and policymakers to come together to identify critical
middle-skills jobs, and pinpoint the specific qualifications needed to
keep America competitive,” said Matthew Sigelman, CEO of Burning
Glass Technologies. “Through its commitment, Walmart and the Walmart
Foundation are already leading the way and working with strategic
partners to further develop skills training and job placement programs,
and create clear career pathways to help workers find a lifetime of
success.”
With an initial investment of $16 million in grants, Walmart and the
Walmart Foundation will help more than 12,000 retail and related sector
workers gain the knowledge and training they need to advance in their
careers through programs offered by the following nonprofit
organizations: Achieving the Dream, The ACT Foundation, Dress for
Success, Goodwill Industries, Jobs for the Future, McKinsey Social
Initiative and the National Able Network. The programs will provide
skills training, job placement support and develop interactive maps to
showcase career paths within retail and adjacent sectors.
“We are excited to partner with other foundations, employers, training
providers, government bodies and nonprofit organizations to improve
career pathways for people in retail and adjacent sectors,” said
Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation, senior vice
president of Corporate Affairs. “We believe progress requires collective
action in the industry to align on the skills required for advancement
and to develop more innovative, effective, and universally-used training
and assessments that recognize on-the-job learning. Ultimately, we aim
to increase economic mobility of the U.S. retail workforce as a whole.”
The grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will support the
following programs:
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Partner |
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| Grant Amount |
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| Program |
Achieving the Dream |
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$1 million
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Build the capacity of four community colleges to place students in
training and secure middle-skills jobs in the retail sector,
creating a framework that can be replicated at other colleges (914
students served by the grant)
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The ACT Foundation |
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$2.265 million
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Develop a retail sector-wide competency model and interactive career
maps to showcase the career paths of existing jobs in retail,
logistics and customer service
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Dress for Success |
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$2.58 million
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Provide 5,400 disadvantaged women from more than 30 states with
pre-employment training that will help them obtain jobs and advance
in their careers
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Goodwill Industries |
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$3 million
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Build the capacity of eight Goodwill affiliates to provide training
and career pathways to advance people from entry level to
middle-skills jobs in retail, logistics and customer service (1,500
individuals served by grant)
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Jobs for the Future |
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$3 million
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Grow the capacity of 10 organizations to provide training needed for
entry level workers to access jobs in the transportation,
distribution and logistics sectors (3,000 individuals served by
grant)
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McKinsey Social Initiative |
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$3.2 million
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Develop an innovative retail training and job placement model, and
pilot with 650 low-income youths
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National Able Network |
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$1 million
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Build the capacity of 18 centers to train and provide job placement
assistance for 1,000 individuals working in retail, logistics and
manufacturing
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Walmart and the Walmart Foundation’s $100 million commitment over five
years will create the career maps, training approaches and alignment
among employers and training providers that will help many of the 15
million people working in retail today, including seven million women.
In developing these tools and practices, the Walmart Foundation will
support programs that directly help 50,000 people, including 30,000
workers move from entry level to middle-skills jobs. The commitment is
part of the Walmart Foundation’s focus on creating economic
opportunities for individuals globally. The Foundation is also committed
to helping people live better through philanthropic efforts in the areas
of sustainability and community.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live
better through philanthropic efforts that draw on the strengths of
Walmart in the arenas of sustainability, economic opportunity, and
community. As part of our commitment to creating a more sustainable food
system worldwide, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the
fight against hunger in the United States. They recently exceeded a $2
billion goal to fight hunger one year ahead of schedule and have donated
more than 1.5 billion pounds of food to those in need across the
country. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit www.foundation.walmart.com.
Contacts:
Walmart
Tricia Moriarty, 1-800-331-0085
news.walmart.com/reporter
Source: Walmart
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