Sam’s Club announced yesterday its participation in Unlock Potential, a hiring program designed to provide career opportunities for those at risk of incarceration.
The program is funded by parent company Walmart through its Center for Racial Equity and works with companies to use employment to promote racial equity and disrupt the prison pipeline. Individuals aged 16-24 who have been in the juvenile justice system, experienced sex or human trafficking, had a parent incarcerated before 18 years old, or who have grown out of foster care are the focus of the initiative.
"We know that at-risk youth have limited opportunities and often find themselves unemployed or out of school, and as a society we have to intervene before it reaches that point," said Sam's Club CEO Kathryn McLay, in a statement. "Programs like this help. We can put young people on a positive path as they begin adult life. And even if they move on after their time with us, we've provided them with real-world job and life skills they can take anywhere."
The partnership with Unlock Potential is in line with Sam’s Club’s existing internship program for high school students in underserved communities, providing on-the-job training, life skill development, as well as free college education through their Live Better U program.
The warehouse club joins the program during its design phase, along with American Family Insurance, Ben & Jerry’s, and Delta Air Lines. This will enable it to provide feedback about the structure of the program and receive additional input from experts and community-based organizations. Unlock Potential will then launch a 12-month pilot in October.
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