By Ashley Moss
Staff Writer
Paul Quinn College is partnering with Chipotle Mexican Grill to take part in its employee education initiative. Known as the Cultivate Education program, the initiative will cover 100% of tuition costs up front, and can be applied to over 75 different types of business and technology degrees for eligible employees, including crew members. The partnership comes as a result of Chipotle’s alliance with Guild Education, an education benefits company.
Employees in the program are eligible after 120 days of employment to pursue debt-free degrees from nonprofit, accredited universities, including the nation’s first urban work college, which is also one of the oldest historically Black colleges and universities in the country.
“We want to provide employees with the tools to achieve their full potential and recognize that financial barriers can be one of the biggest obstacles for not furthering their education,” said Marissa Andrada, who serves as the Chief Diversity, Inclusion and People officer at Chipotle, in a statement. “Ensuring we provide inclusive benefits and a support system for our employees and recognizing the importance of offering an HBCU in our education program will continue to aid in our efforts to cultivate a better world.”
Since the launch of Chipotle’s Cultivate Education program in 2016, more than 8,000 employees have enrolled in classes to take advantage of the education benefit, and to date, Chipotle has seen a retention rate of three-and-a-half times higher among students who are enrolled in Cultivate Education.
“Chipotle’s Cultivate Education program continues to thrive, giving employees the opportunity to achieve enhanced economic mobility,” Rachel Carlson, CEO and co-founder of Guild Education, said. “By expanding the program to include Paul Quinn College, Chipotle is offering employees a more comprehensive, inclusive benefit.”
To learn more about the program, visit https://chipotle.guildeducation.com.
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