June 8, 2021
By Andy Trainor, Vice President of Learning
For the past few years, Walmart Academies have focused on training our associates to succeed in their jobs and upskill for the future. We’ve always known our Academies could make a positive impact beyond our walls and help the communities we serve. With that in mind, today we’re announcing Community Academy, a free program that leverages our network of 200+ Walmart Academies in stores across the country to offer educational opportunities to anyone in the community – associate or not.
Community Academy began with a question: How can we help? With so many communities struggling economically and education sometimes out of reach, we recognized a need that we’re uniquely suited to fill. Our goal is to help people invest in themselves, increase upward mobility and create fundamentally stronger communities as a result.
Community Academy virtual courses are now available nationwide at no cost, and registration is open to all. Class topics include everything from résumé building and interviewing skills to budget and finance, standardized test preparation and navigating college admissions. Each of our courses are grouped into one of five overall themes – community, personal finance, home, career progression and technology – and we’ll expand our offerings throughout the year.
In developing our Community Academy curriculum, we leveraged Walmart’s own subject matter experts and worked with industry leaders to ensure our content is best-in-class. All Community courses will be taught by our Walmart Academy facilitators, true learning professionals who have guided our store associates through more than 2 million Academy training sessions on topics ranging from store processes to leadership and soft skills.
At Walmart, we believe in opportunity – to grow your skillset, build a career and reach for something more. Community Academy represents our belief in that opportunity, and we’re proud to begin serving our communities in this new way.
