Employees of Guild Education.
Guild Education

Guild Education is trying to build a more equitable workforce by connecting workers to courses that help them excel. Over 310,000 employees at companies like Walmart, Disney, and Chipotle used Guild for education, coaching, or career support in 2021, with student growth up 60% since early 2021. Guild learners, mostly people of color and first-generation college students, see higher wage increases and more promotions than peers, and graduate debt-free—their employers pay universities, which in turn pay Guild. “If we solve the challenges for those diverse populations,” says Guild CEO Rachel Romer Carlson, “we build a more diverse America that has a chance at the middle class.”

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Write to Katie Reilly at Katie.Reilly@time.com.

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