Charter Communications is helping more than 101,000 full-time employees gain access to tuition-free college programs.
The program is part of the newly-launched Charter Education Benefit, which will see Charter partner with the career opportunity platform Guild and 30 institutions of higher education to offer more than 300 college degree programs through the Internet.
“Charter has always been a great place to build a long and fulfilling career, for both those with and without college degrees,” Paul Marchand, the executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Charter, said in a statement this week. “Our employees earn competitive wages, receive high-quality and affordable benefits and now, with the new Charter Education Benefit, they can pursue a tuition-free college degree. Creating meaningful opportunities for career mobility results in a more knowledgeable workforce, which ultimately benefits our customers as well.”
The benefit builds on an already-existing commitment Charter made last year that saw the company offer up to $10,000 in tuition reimbursement when full-time employees enroll at any accredited college or university.
Charter says it will cover tuition in full for employees who choose to pursue a degree through Guild, which counts the University of Denver, eCornell, Ohio University and Spelman College among its partner educational institutions.
“Charter is spearheading what it means to unlock career opportunity in the communications industry, providing best in class programs, support and resources for their employees to learn and advance in their careers,” Rachel Romer, the CEO of Guild, said on Tuesday. “Guild is looking forward to partnering with Charter on this strategic investment in their workforce.”
Charter offers various consumer and enterprise products under the Spectrum brand, which includes broadband Internet, wireless phone service and cable television. The company also operates a number of regional cable news stations and is part of a streaming-focused joint venture with Comcast called Xumo.
Charter says the educational benefits announced this week is part of its overall strategy to build a highly-skilled workforce. The company also sets starting wages at $20 per hour, offers various retirement benefits with matching contributions, and offers full-time staff a variety of health-related benefits like medical, dental and vision coverage.
Most full-time employees are also eligible to receive discounts on Spectrum TV, Spectrum Internet and Spectrum Wireless service.
