Disney joined with Guild, an eduction benefits provider, five years ago to to create the Aspire program to assist employees enrolled in a trade school or college. Of the 14,000 staff participating in Aspire, 60% are women and more than half are workers of color, says Tonya Cornileus, senior vice president of learning and talent solutions at Disney.
More than 3,000 workers who have participated in Aspire have received at least one promotion within Disney. “We have no stipulation or requirement that an individual must remain with the Walt Disney Company beyond graduating,” Cornileus says. “They do so because they have a company that is committed to investing in them and providing them the resources and tools to be successful in their careers, and ultimately, in life.”