Pizza Hut is partnering with an online college to help its employees earn credit toward their chosen degree program and defray some costs of getting that degree.
The initiative, dubbed Life Unboxed EDU, enables employees to apply credits earned during on-the-job training toward an online degree from Excelsior College, Pizza Hut said.
It also provides employees and their immediate family members with discounted tuition, and gives salaried corporate employees $5,250 to spend on school fees and supplies.
"Pizza Hut is committed to providing our team members with opportunities to reach their highest potential, and this custom-designed program with Excelsior College is an exciting example of that," said CEO David Gibbs. "The cost of going to college is a significant hurdle for many people who have a desire to continue their education, so we are taking away as much of that burden as possible through Life Unboxed EDU."
The chain said 65 employees are currently enrolled in the program and more than 100 others have applied.
Earlier this year, Pizza Hut joined the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative spearheaded by Starbucks, which aims to support hiring and training efforts for young adults facing educational barriers.
Starbucks in April announced that it would cover U.S. employees’ full cost of an online bachelor’s degree earned through Arizona State University, an extension of its earlier College Achievement Plan.
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