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SAINT DOLLY: Dolly Parton to pay FULL tuition for all staffers working at Dollywood

The theme park in Tennessee announced that it would provide 100 per cent of the tuition, fees, and books for its employees who choose to pursue further education

Singer-songwriter and actress Dolly Parton's theme park Dollywood will provide paid tuition for all of its employees. Herschend Enterprises, the parent company of Dollywood, announced that it would provide 100 per cent of the tuition, fees, and books for its employees who wish to pursue further education. The 35-acre water park is located in Pigeon Forge, ‎Tennessee‎.

"Today Herschend Enterprises, the nation's largest privately-owned themed attractions corporation, announced it will cover 100% of tuition, fees, and books for its 11,000 employees who choose to pursue further education. The significant investment in employee education will be made through Herschend's GROW U. The program aims to make it exponentially easier for employees at all levels to pursue their personal and professional dreams through education. Herschend's GROW U will officially launch on February 24, 2022, for all seasonal, part-time, and full-time employees across its 25 US attractions including The Harlem Globetrotters, Dollywood Parks & Resorts (Tenn.), Silver Dollar City (Mo.), Adventure Aquarium (N.J.), Newport Aquarium (Ky.), Kentucky Kingdom (Ky.), Wild Adventures (Ga.), and Pink Adventure Tours (Ariz., Tenn., Nev.)," the statement read.

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"Herschend's GROW U offers 11,000 eligible seasonal, part-time and full-time employees and hosts more than 100 fully-funded (100% free) diploma, degree and certificate programs across 30 learning partners in Guild's Learning Marketplace, including programs in high-demand fields such as business administration and leadership, culinary, finance, technology, and marketing. Additionally, the company will provide partial funding, up to $5,250/year, for 150 additional programs in fields including hospitality, engineering, human resources, and art design," explained the statement.

"Herschend Enterprises selected Guild Education, the nation's leading education and upskilling platform, to power GROW U because of their strong reputation for connecting employers and high-value learning providers to create opportunities for America's workforce. Herschend employees will have access to Guild's proprietary Learning Marketplace to select from more than 30 learning providers and utilize resources like professional coaches to support their educational journey," it further read.

"We're proud to partner with Herschend to provide their employees with an equitable education program to advance their careers," said Natalie McCullough, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Guild. "With this program, Herschend is preparing its workforce for the jobs of the future with new skills and mobility opportunities."
 
"Herschend is rooted in love – it's evident at every Herschend property, every day –in the way we treat and support each other, how we Create Memories Worth Repeating for guests, and most importantly, how we care for our employees," said Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend Enterprises.

"Whether it's to pursue a new dream or advance their career with us, we care about our employees' personal and professional growth, because we believe that their futures should be grown with love, not loans. Our team members' success is our success – and that's why we're thrilled to make this benefit available to all, regardless of their role in the company and without the burden of debt," he added.

The official Twitter account of Dollywood Parks & Resorts quote tweeted the news with, "The reasons for joining our team keep growing! https://dollywood.com/Jobs"

"Parton hasn't said anything publicly about the plan, but the star has done plenty of philanthropy, from donating $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center which collaborated with Moderna on the coronavirus vaccine to her children's book charity, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library," reported Business Insider.