JBS to pay college tuition for team members and dependents

They Hyrum JBS plant employs 1,300 people to run their beef processing facility.

Hyrum – JBS USA Hyrum announced they are committed to paying college tuition for employees and their dependents for two years post high school education.

They Hyrum JBS Beef plant is still going strong despite the world wide pandemic.

The program, called Better Futures, is free-of-charge and gives team members and their dependent children the opportunity to pursue their higher education dreams.

Nikki Richardson, JBS corporate communications, said Better Futures removes a major financial barrier to college attendance and may be the largest free college tuition program in rural America. For employees of the JBS plant in Hyrum, the company has an arrangement through Bridgerland Technical College.

“JBS advisors will also help team members – many from first-generation American families – navigate the application process,” she said. “The application process can be a deterrence to people applying to college for the first time.”

Andre Nogueira, chief executive officer at JBS USA, said their Better Futures program removes the biggest financial barrier associated with going to college, and it gives their team members and their families the opportunity to reap the benefits an education can provide.

“We will be delighted if some choose to build or continue their careers with us when they graduate,” he said. “Yet our larger aim is to unlock rural America’s potential through free college education for our team members and their children.”

To be eligible, the global food company team members need to have worked for the last six months and remain in good standing with the company through completion of their education. College tuition is paid upfront by the company and people can pursue whatever program they choose.

The company is establishing long-term partnerships with community colleges in Cache County and other parts of the country.

As a large employer in many rural communities, JBS USA believes providing free access to community college and technical training programs can help play a role to sustainably building rural economies and make a lasting and meaningful difference in people’s lives.

If there is a facility where a college is not conveniently located, the companies will provide an online community college option. The first class of students will be eligible for the upcoming 2021/2022 school year.

A number of college partnerships have been established to date, including Bridgerland Technical College for those employees at the Hyrum, Utah plant.

The Better Futures program is part of the companies’ Hometown Strong initiative announced last year. Strengthening the communities where JBS USA and Pilgrim’s team members live and work is an ongoing priority.

Funding for Better Futures is in addition to the initial $50 million for Hometown Strong investments and will allow the companies to continue advancing the commitment to their team members and people in their hometowns across the country. More information about the program is available at betterfutures.jbssa.com.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

I agree to these terms.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.