The National Fund announced that it is awarding $900,000 in grants made possible through a grant from Walmart to the Baltimore Workforce Funders Collaborative, Central Iowa Works (an initiative of United Way of Central Iowa) and SkillUp Washington. The grants will be given in $100,000 increments each year for three years to each organization to support their efforts to work with employers, educators, and community leaders to expand opportunities in retail and adjacent sectors.

“At Walmart, we believe positive and lasting change comes from collaboration with others and leveraging local expertise,” said Julie Gehrki, Vice President, Programs, Walmart. “Our support of the National Fund is an investment in finding employer-driven innovations in workforce development, especially as it relates to frontline workers. We look forward to seeing the collaborations in Baltimore, Des Moines and Seattle create more opportunities for training and ultimately help retail workers advance more quickly from frontline jobs to roles with greater responsibility.”

These programs will offer additional training to workers, build career pathways and promote business strategies that help employees advance into higher positions with an ultimate goal of making a positive impact on regional retail economies.