Dive Brief:

• Hilton is now offering employees the opportunity to earn high school diplomas and other career certificates, according to Cengage, the company that will administer the benefit.
• The LearningCounts@Hilton program will be free to employees with 6 months on the job either in the corporate offices or at a Hilton-owned or managed property.
• Beyond high school diplomas, the program also offers employees credentialed career certificates in a variety of disciplines: retail, customer service and transportation.

Dive Insight:

As the marketplace for applicants gets tighter with near-record low unemployment, companies are looking for creative ways to address the skills gap. Like Hilton, many are attempting to upskill their current workforce: More than 200,000 employees will graduate from Walmart University training academies in 2017, for example.

The benefits go beyond merely filling higher-level positions, however. An investment in talent that already fits with your culture culture has various benefits, including a boost in employees' engagement and feeling of ownership, plus a decease in turnover.