ALTOONA, Pa.—Sheetz is expanding its tuition discount program for its employees by partnering with Western Governors University, reports the Pittsburgh Business Times. The online university has more than 136,000 students, many of whom are adults working full time or part time.
“Since 1952 when the store was founded, it’s always been a priority for Sheetz to invest in our workforce and help those in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina build a sustainable career that is focused on inspiring culture. This focus on upward mobility will inevitably create more opportunities for our employees,” Sarah Piper, manager of employee engagement programs at Sheetz, said in a release.
Sheetz’ employees are now eligible for annual tuition reimbursement of $5,250 per year per employee if they are enrolled in one of WGU’s programs. Workers can also receive tuition reimbursement for other schools, as well. In 2021, Sheetz more than doubled the amount it granted through its tuition program, which was previously $1,500 per year, per employee.
WGU offers competency-based programs in health care, IT, education and business, where students can complete coursework fully online and at their own pace.
“WGU is proud to work alongside Sheetz as we believe our competency-based online learning model can help its employees achieve their learning goals and take the next step in their careers,” Alison Bell, regional vice president of WGU, said in a release. “Skilling-up our adult learners is a vital step in ensuring our workforce is ready to fill much-needed roles in a wide variety of sectors and industries facing shortages. This partnership is one way we can reach this vital demographic of workers through WGU’s key access points: cost, flexibility, and place and time.”
Sheetz recently announced it is expanding its store count in Western Pennsylvania, with plans to open as many as 30 new stores over the next three to five years. There are currently 294 Sheetz locations in Pennsylvania and 650 total stores across the nation, with footprints in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina.