Smithfield Foods To Offer Free Tuition to U.S. Employees

Full- and part-time U.S. employees eligible for 100% of tuition costs for degree and certificate programs

SMITHFIELD, Va., April 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods will offer free tuition to full-time and part-time employees through a new program specifically designed for adults in the workplace.

Under this program, Smithfield will cover up to 100% of tuition costs for various degree and certificate programs through vetted universities and learning providers, with flexible course schedules and programs aligned to Smithfield's career pathway opportunities. Required textbooks and course fees will also be covered.

"Our employees drive our success, and they are our competitive advantage," said Shane Smith, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods. "We're committed to helping all of our team members grow their careers in a fair, ethical and rewarding work environment. This new tuition-free program will unlock life-changing opportunities for our U.S. employees, and will continue to build a foundation for lifelong careers at Smithfield."

"We are thrilled to partner with Smithfield Foods to deepen their internal culture of opportunity," said Jonathan Marek, chief customer officer at Guild. "Smithfield's tuition-free education and skilling program builds on their vision that good food starts with good people, and provides Smithfield's employees with even more access to personal and professional advancement." 

Smithfield's new education program is being administered in partnership with Guild through a platform designed to provide every employee access to learning and career growth, with a catalog of high-quality learning programs vetted for working adults. The program will also feature one-on-one personalized education support and career coaching for Smithfield's U.S. employees.

For more information on Smithfield's Guild program, visit smithfield.guildeducation.com.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that employs nearly 60,000 people in seven countries and partners with thousands of American farmers. As one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.^®" to feed a growing world population. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs in all 50 U.S. states. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield^®, Eckrich^®, Gwaltney^® and Nathan's Famous^®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

About Guild
Guild unlocks the talent and economic potential of America's workforce for employees and their companies. Guild partners with the nation's largest employers—including Walmart, Chipotle, Discover, Hilton, Macy's, Target, and The Walt Disney Company—to create cultures of opportunity that help them attract and retain top talent, while building the workforce of the future from within. By using Guild's proprietary Career Opportunity Platform to connect workers to a marketplace of education and learning programs that work in the real-world, employees at those companies can gain the skills, knowledge, and guidance they need to build a brighter future for themselves and their families—all without paying for tuition or career services on their own. For more information, visit www.guildeducation.com.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.