NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.,
Oct. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG), known for its best-in-class
benefits, announced that it will provide the opportunity for all
eligible employees, including crew members, to pursue a debt-free
college degree through an expansion of the Chipotle Cultivate
Education benefits program. This enhancement continues our
commitment to education, providing employees with over $20 million in tuition assistance over the past
two years.
Chipotle is covering 100% of tuition costs up front for 75
different types of business and technology degrees through their
partnership with Guild Education, one of the leading education
benefits companies in the country. Chipotle is adding this
opportunity to obtain debt-free degrees to its education benefits
program to give employees the chance to gain the skills and
knowledge necessary to succeed in the evolving 21st century job
market. After 120 days of employment, employees are eligible to
pursue degrees from leading nonprofit, accredited universities,
including The University of Arizona,
Bellevue University, Brandman
University, Southern New Hampshire
University, and Wilmington
University.
"Chipotle recognizes that financial barriers can be one of the
biggest obstacles that impede our employees from achieving their
fullest potential," said Marissa
Andrada, Chief People Officer at Chipotle. "We are proud to
launch this opportunity for debt-free degrees by providing free
tuition to help our employees excel in all areas in their lives,
both in and out of Chipotle."
"This expansion of Chipotle's Cultivate Education benefits
program to cover 100% tuition costs upfront for degrees in business
and technology represents the company's commitment to upskilling
its workforce and helping employees achieve their professional
goals," said Rachel Carlson, Guild
Education CEO & Co-Founder. "We are thrilled to partner with
Chipotle as they continue to lead the way in the fast-casual
industry for enhancing the employee experience with best-in-class
benefits."
Brice Widger, a Chipotle crew
member in New York City stated, "I
had two majors with a number of credits and was debating whether or
not to go back and pursue my degree. The accelerated program with
Bellevue University combined with
Chipotle's tuition assistance made the decision easy. It is
convenient as I am able to take classes in the evening, which I
really appreciate."
The launch of the debt-free degree is the latest addition to
Chipotle's Cultivate Education program, which includes an existing
tuition reimbursement program, allowing eligible employees to be
reimbursed for tuition up to $5,250 a
year at the school of their choice. According to Guild Education
research, 63% of students enrolled in the program are
first-generation college students and 86% have reported feeling
that they need additional education to achieve their professional
goals. The Cultivate Education program has demonstrated that
employees enrolled are more likely to be retained and promoted
within Chipotle than non-participating employees. Last year,
Chipotle promoted more than 13,000 of its employees and hopes to
expand that number as it continues to invest in its people with
industry leading benefits.
In addition to education, Chipotle offers an industry-first crew
bonus program, which allows its restaurant employees the
opportunity to earn an extra month's worth of pay each year for
meeting certain criteria. Qualifying crew members can also take
advantage of a full suite of benefits including access to
healthcare; fitness discounts; and free English as a second
language and GED classes for employees and family members.
About Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:
CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced,
classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without
artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Chipotle had over
2,500 restaurants as of June 30,
2019, in the United States,
Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of
its size that owns and operates all its restaurants. With more than
80,000 employees passionate about providing a great guest
experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food
industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible
to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated
purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable
business practices. Steve Ells,
founder and Executive Chairman, first opened Chipotle with a single
restaurant in Denver, Colorado in
1993. For more information or to place an order online, visit
WWW.CHIPOTLE.COM.
About Guild Education
The mission of Guild Education
is to unlock opportunity for America's workforce through education,
with a double bottom-line business model that does well by doing
good. Guild partners with leading Fortune 1000 employers to help
them provide education benefits to their frontline workforce.
Through these partnerships, more than three million employees are
eligible to pursue an advanced degree through Guild programs, and
each month, more than 10,000 employees are exploring the path back
to school with Guild. Guild has been named Top Woman-Owned Business
of the Year, Employee Initiative of the Year, a Fast Company Most
Innovative Company and was recently listed on the Forbes Cloud 100 List. As one of the fastest
growing companies headquartered in Denver, Guild has more than 360 employees and
is hiring across departments. To learn more about Guild Education,
visit www.guildeducation.com.
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SOURCE Chipotle Mexican Grill