Photo: Walmart
Walmart announced the grand opening of its 100th training academy, located in Edmond, OK. The opening of the facility puts Walmart halfway to its stated goal of 200 across the U.S. by the end of the summer. Launching the initiative last year, there are now training academies in operation in 40 states.
“Everything we do begins with our associates,” said Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Walmart Store, in a statement. “That’s why we have invested in training academies for associates to further develop the skills they need to better serve customers and succeed in today’s retail environment.”
Since launching the program, Walmart has expanded its curriculum to cover more than 65 positions including assistant store manager, customer service and online grocery pickup. Associates going through the program are trained in a variety of classroom and sales floor exercises. Associates use tablets and access training materials on the cloud.
Last October, Walmart announced improvements in reducing out-of-stocks and store cleanliness after it raised wages for associates and invested in training. Last October, 75 percent of Walmart locations met the company’s internal goals for customer service compared to just 16 percent a few years earlier. Better pay and training has also contributed to a reduction in employee turnover.
More than 52,000 associates have graduated from Walmart’s academies to date, with more than 225,000 expected to complete their training this year.