Attracting and retaining talented colleagues is essential as we pursue our purpose of helping people on their path to better health. Through a variety of workforce initiatives, we help to provide meaningful job training and employment opportunities to individuals from diverse backgrounds. CVS Health Regional Learning Centers are a key component to these initiatives, serving as a hub for job training and a pipeline for new talent.
We currently operate Regional Learning Centers in Boston, Cleveland, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Each houses classrooms, office space, and a full mock pharmacy that closely resembles an active CVS Pharmacy location. They are staffed by at least a full-time manager and a full-time coordinator who manage relationships with internal and external partners.
A Valuable Resource for Internal & External Partners
The success of our workforce initiatives relies upon effective collaboration with our partners, which include government agencies, community organizations, and educational institutions. Working with these partners, we create workforce development programs aimed primarily towards job seekers from populations typically underrepresented in workplaces. These programs, tailored to the specific needs of our partners and the populations they serve, incorporate education on job skills and provide exposure to work in a retail environment.
Regional Learning Centers, which host and administer workforce development programs, are vital to our workforce development partnerships. In 2017, nearly 1,800 community members participated in one of these programs. Many of these individuals transitioned to positions within CVS Pharmacy locations or leveraged their experience to obtain work elsewhere. Additionally, retention rates among CVS Health colleagues who participated in a Regional Learning Center program are higher than for other colleagues.
Current CVS Health colleagues also benefit from training delivered at Regional Learning Centers. More than 9,000 colleagues received training last year and Regional Learning Center staff work with internal partners to identify opportunities to support talent needs.
Celebrating Diversity in Our Workplaces & Communities
Working with our partners to provide meaningful job training and employment opportunities in the communities we serve is part of our purpose to help people on their path to better health. With CVS Pharmacy locations in nearly 10,000 communities across the country, we also believe that our workforce should be representative of our large and diverse base of customers and patients. Our Regional Learning Centers play an important role in our commitment to sustaining an inclusive workplace and to the communities where we work.