Walmart Community Academy offers free classes on financial education, job search skills
HOUSTON - Walmart is now offering free classes to help people get ahead in life. Walmart Community Academy is a series of classes on things like job interviewing, budgeting, buying a house, and applying to college.
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One of the most empowering tools we can get in life, and that many communities lack, is financial education. Walmart, one of the world's largest retailers, says their aim is to help people to "live better."
Walmart Academy started with classes for company employees, first on retail skills, then on life skills.
"Now we're going to use the same resources to provide education to our customers for free," said Andy Trainor, Walmart's Vice President of U.S. Learning.
Walmart Community Academy is for anyone in the community, ages 16 and up.
It offers a wide variety of hour-long, virtual classes on topics including resume writing and job interview skills, managing a budget, buying a car or a house, applying to college, understanding computers and mobile devices, and disaster preparedness. They plan to add more classes later.
"There are a lot of skills you need in the workplace that aren't being taught normally, or they're changing so fast that there aren't ways to get them. So this is to really help prepare anyone that wants to, for different skills," said Trainor.
Walmart Academy facilitators lead the interactive, virtual classes with the goal of helping people invest in themselves, increasing their upward mobility, and creating stronger communities. They plan to hold classes in person in the future.
"This is our way to give back to our customers and our community and help them get the skills they want and need to better improve their lives," said Trainor.
Attendees can choose the classes they want, and the dates and times through the Walmart Community Academy website.