Meat giant Tyson Foods will spend $60 million to give its employees free education, including college degrees

• Tyson employees will be able to get free education from over 35 institutions across the US.
• The initiative will cover all costs including tuition, books, and other fees.
• A pandemic-era labor shortage has led some firms to offer perks to attract and retain staff.

The US’ biggest meat company, Tyson Foods, has announced it will pay for its employees to go to college.

The multinational said it will spend $60 million to provide free education to its 120,000 employees, including funding for undergraduate, master’s and associate degree courses at 35 universities across the US beginning this summer, the company said in a statement.

“Providing education benefits will continue to lay a foundation for personal and career growth for our team members,” said John R. Tyson, Tyson’s Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer.

A pandemic-era labor shortage has compelled some firms to offer perks such as free college tuition to attract and retain staff.

Meatpackers in particular have had trouble recruiting employees, Bloomberg reported. Rival meatpacker, JBS USA, started offering free college for workers and one child per employee in March of 2021.

Tyson’s initiative will cover all costs associated with getting a degree or certification, from tuition, to books, to other fees, it said.

The program will provide employees access to over 175 programs from universities and other learning institutions. The company said its employees will also be able to attain “career certificates and literacy and technology fundamentals” as part of the scheme.