It’s not just college coaches scouting high school talent – So is Wal-Mart and UF
Bottom Line: Here’s a sign of the times economic story. It’s not at all unusual for employers to recruit college talent while students are still obtaining their education, but have you ever heard of it happening in high-school? That’s exactly what’s happening at Wal-Mart through their new initiative to attract high-school students to work for Wal-Mart in today’s super tight jobs market.
Wal-Mart is taking its current program for college students and expanding it to high-schoolers with an eye on continuing education. Here are the opportunities for high-schoolers who join Wal-Mart and their new program.
- Jobs within Walmart with scheduling options for flexibility;
- Free ACT and SAT prep courses;
- Up to seven hours of free college credit through Walmart’s “Live Better U’s College Start” program; and
- A debt-free college degree through “Live Better U” (upon completing high school) in three fields from six nonprofit universities.
The way this works is straight-forward.As long as an employee in the program is in good standing, they obtain all benefits as needed. Regarding the college education. Employees in good standing are only required to pay $1 per day, or $365 per year, towards their college education once enrolled. Wal-Mart covers the rest. And now for the next sweetener. The University of Florida has been added as a participating school. That’s right, for students who’re accepted into UF and the program. Work at Wal-Mart, earn a paycheck, and pay $365 a year for your degree. Need I say anything else?