Walmart is revamping its Live Better U (LBU) education benefit to enhance skills that make associates more fit for internal roles within the company. It aims to quickly fill around 100,000 in-demand jobs at Walmart and Sam's Club in the next three years.

Walmart thinks the U.S. workforce should transition to a system that values and recognizes skills as it does to college degrees to create equal opportunities. Harvard Business Review calls this the "new-collar workforce."

The Live Better U (LBU) Program to Offer Skill-Based Training

The job count represents vital roles in customer service, like management and supervisory positions in Walmart clubs, stores, and supply chain facilities. Walmart aims to train associates for roles in technology, health and wellness, truck driving, and other expanding areas, said Walmart.

The LBU program has provided learning opportunities for 126,000 associates at schools like the University of Arkansas, Purdue Global, and Spelman College. Walmart is eliminating college degree requirements for management roles, focusing on skill-based hiring with its new LBU approach.

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Expanding Short-Form Certificates

Employees can pursue a college degree from day one, covered by Walmart. Yet, in the last two years, Walmart focused on providing more short-form certificates through the Live Better U program to equip associates with the skills needed to fit into sought-after positions at Walmart or elsewhere.

Walmart now provides about 25 short-form certificates with Guild, up from five in 2020. Associates can earn certificates in various fields like data analytics and cybersecurity, which aim to support employees' advancement with more responsibility and better pay. According to Stomski, associates want shorter options to help them advance sooner.

Certificates include frontline manager leadership, people and business leadership, data science, software development, and project management. Walmart also offers certificates, like supply chain operations, in collaboration with the University of Arkansas.

In January, Walmart raised pay and offered more incentives to store managers.

Rewriting Job Descriptions to Consider Skills

Walmart is committed to breaking down barriers for associates to advance in their careers. For example, 75% of salaried managers in U.S. stores, clubs, and supply chain facilities began as hourly Walmart employees, illustrating the company's culture of internal promotion. These roles, which pay approximately $113,000 annually, have never required degrees.

As Walmart evolves and creates new roles, it's reconsidering the skills needed for the future. Job descriptions for campus positions are being rewritten to include skills and degrees. Applicants can now qualify for these roles with a relevant college degree or the necessary skills acquired through experience or other learning avenues.

Gaining Degree Credits Through On-the-Job Academy Training

Walmart is streamlining pathways for associates to obtain college degrees, aiming for them to be halfway to a degree before starting college. Associates earn credit hours through on-the-job training, Walmart Academy sessions, and short-form certificates, saving time for busy adult learners. Walmart.org supports this effort by collaborating with education providers, including working with the Education Design Lab to develop assessments and models that grant college credit for existing skills.

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