Double the Pleasure- the Wal-Mart Way

Two interesting pieces of news from Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart: 500,000 new jobs worldwide in 5 years - Jun. 4, 2010: "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Friday it plans to create 500,000 jobs throughout the world in the next five years, saying there is tremendous opportunity for growth globally."

Wal-Mart to Offer Workers College Degree Program - NYTimes.com: "The purveyor of inexpensive jeans and lawnmowers is dipping its toe into the online-education waters, working with a Web-based university to offer its employees in the United States affordable college degrees.

The partnership with American Public University, a for-profit school with about 70,000 online students, will allow some Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club employees to earn credits in areas like retail management and logistics for performing their regular jobs.

The university will offer eligible employees 15 percent price reductions on tuition, and Wal-Mart will invest $50 million over three years in other tuition assistance for the employees who participate."

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Wal-Mart will hire more workers as it expands in countries like India. Paying, even partly, for education is a positive step, whether one is in favor of online degrees or not. For-profit organizations in education raise serious ethical issues, but so do all for-profit organizations. BP is spending $50 million in advertising/PR and giving a few billions as dividends to shareholders- while destroying many families who depend on the Gulf for livelihood.