Herschend Enterprises, Dolly Parton‘s operating partner in Dollywood, has announced that it will cover 100 percent of tuition, fees and books for its 11,000 employees who want to pursue further education.
The investment in employee education will be made through Herschend’s GROW U., which will officially launch on February 24, 2022. It is available to all seasonal, part-time and full-time employees across the company’s US attractions.
These include Dollywood Parks & Resorts in Tennessee, Silver Dollar City in Missouri, Adventure Aquarium in New Jersey, Newport Aquarium in Kentucky, Wild Adventures in Georgia, and Kentucky Kingdom.
“Herschend’s GROW U. is not only a significant and transformational investment in our employee’s growth but also our love culture in action,” said Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend Enterprises.
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“Herschend is rooted in love – it’s evident at every Herschend property, every day – in the way we treat and support each other, how we create memories worth repeating for guests, and most importantly, how we care for our employees.”
GROW U. offers more than 100 fully-funded diploma, degree and certificate programmes across 30 learning partners in Guild’s Learning Marketplace. Programmes are available in fields such as business administration and leadership, culinary, finance, technology and marketing.
GROW U. is powered by Guild Education, the leading education and upskilling platform in the US. Herschend staff will have access to resources including professional coaches.
“Whether it’s to pursue a new dream or advance their career with us, we care about our employees’ personal and professional growth, because we believe that their futures should be grown with love, not loans,” Wexler added.
“Our team members’ success is our success – and that’s why we’re thrilled to make this benefit available to all, regardless of their role in the company and without the burden of debt.”
Images: Herschend Enterprises
