JBS USA and Pilgrim’s and UA Cossatot are Bringing the Better Futures Program to Arkansas
JBS USA and Pilgrim’s and UA Cossatot are Bringing the Better Futures Program to Arkansas
Tuesday, August 3rd from 1:30 until 5:30 pm, members of the UA Cossatot Student Services Department will be at Pilgrim's De Queen facility to enroll eligible Pilgrim's employees and their dependents living at home in classes at UAC. Pilgrim's is paying the way for these employees and their families to further their education.
JBS USA and Pilgrim’s announce that more than 1,250 team members and dependents have enrolled in community colleges across rural America as part of the company’s Better Futures free college tuition program. With a goal of becoming the largest privately-funded free two-year college initiative in rural America, the Better Futures program has received praise from school administrators and educational leaders across the country.
“The JBS USA and Pilgrim’s Better Futures program is off to an outstanding start, with 1,286 of our team members and dependents enrolling in the program in only four months,” said Andre Nogueira, chief executive officer, JBS USA. “The number of students attending college has been in decline for more than a decade, especially among minority communities and across rural America. We believe providing free access to community college can help strengthen rural economies and make a lasting and meaningful difference in the lives of people.”
Since the launch of Better Futures in March 2021, the companies have partnered with 36 colleges in 22 states to provide tuition-free education to team members and dependents, many from first-generation American families. Today, approximately 70% of the more than 1,250 Better Futures enrollees are team members.
“When we launched Better Futures, we anticipated that the vast majority of enrollees would be the dependents of our team members,” said Corey Friend, Better Futures program manager. “We have been pleasantly surprised that so many of our team members have decided to take advantage of this opportunity to upskill and prepare themselves for the workforce of the future through education. Better Futures is unlocking untapped potential across rural America and I could not be more proud of the great progress we have made in such a short amount of time.”
To be eligible for Better Futures, JBS USA and Pilgrim’s team members need only to have worked with the company for the last six months and remain in good standing with the company through completion of their education. Better Futures participants are able to pursue any courses or degree programs they wish.
More information on the Better Futures program can be found at https://betterfutures.jbssa.com/.
VIDEO: "What's Up, Doc?" with Dr. Randy Walker
This week on "What's Up Doc?", Dr. Randy and Cody Gallagher of Pilgrim's Pride announce a new partnership between Pilgrim's and the Walker Clinic that will enable Pilgrim's employees and their families to save money on healthcare.
UA Cossatot Partners With Pilgrim's Pride for the Better Futures Program
UA Cossatot announces its new partnership with Pilgrim’s Pride for its students and future students.
In May, Chancellor of UA Cossatot, Dr. Steve Cole signed an agreement with Pilgrim’s Pride in De Queen to be part of the local Better Futures program.
With this local program, any Pilgrim’s Pride employee and their dependents may attend UA Cossatot tuition-free for any field of study they choose.
According to Chancellor Cole, “It's a tremendous day for education in our region as this will open doors for hundreds, if not thousands, of Pilgrim's Pride employees and their family members. UA Cossatot is proud to partner with Pilgrim's Pride on this endeavor as it will be a game changer for many families and our economy as a whole."
This program will begin in fall 2021 and UA Cossatot will be working with Pilgrim’s Pride to establish a seamless recruitment and enrollment process. More information on the Better Futures program can be found at https://betterfutures.jbssa.com/.
VIDEO: Pilgrims Donates to Sevier County Medical Center for Walking Trail
Sevier County Med Center Monthly meeting as Pilgrims makes a check presentation to the board
De Queen Mayor Jeff Brown at Ed 88 Studios
Mayor Brown discussed the new Splash Pad, purchased with funds from Pilgrims, coming to De Queen next year.
Pilgrim’s to Build Splash Pad with Remaining Hometown Strong Funds
GREELEY, Colo. Dec. 8, 2020 – In November, Pilgrim’s announced a $715,000 investment in De Queen, Ark., to support the community’s future through the company’s Hometown Strong program. Pilgrim’s worked with local leaders to determine where the funds could best help meet immediate and longer-term community needs.
Today, the company announced it is contributing $480,000 to partner with the City of De Queen and build a splash pad at Herman Dierks Memorial Park. The state-of-the-art splash pad will provide outdoor entertainment for the community, and construction will begin in the first quarter of 2021.
“We believe this project will allow our team members and neighbors to enjoy a fun outdoor recreation activity and provide a place for families and friends to come together and socialize,” said Eddie Halter, Pilgrim’s De Queen/Nashville Complex Manager. “Supporting projects that help improve the quality of life for our community is something we are very passionate about at Pilgrim’s, and we’re grateful our Hometown Strong program is making this possible.”
“We are extremely blessed to have Pilgrim’s call De Queen home,” said De Queen Mayor Jeff Brown. “Their $480,000 contribution to build a splash pad in Herman Dierks Park goes above and beyond their ongoing support of our community. We are thankful for this donation as it will ensure that families have the opportunity to spend quality time together for decades to come.”
In November, the company announced it would be funding a one-mile walking trail around the new Sevier County Medical Center. This trail will provide landscaped and lighted outdoor space for hospital staff, patients, visitors and the broader community.
The Pilgrim’s De Queen/Nashville facility employs more than 1,400 people with an annual payroll of more than $53 million. The facility supports 238 growers, paying them more than $36 million per year for their livestock. Consistent with its long-term commitment to the local economy, the Pilgrim’s De Queen/Nashville complex has invested more than $134 million in capital improvements over the last five years.
Pilgrim’s anchors dozens of rural communities – operating more than 30 meat poultry and prepared foods plants and employing 31,000-plus people in the United States. Nationally, the Hometown Strong initiative is a $20 million investment from Pilgrim’s, which is part of a $50 million nationwide contribution from JBS USA. Visit hometownstrong.jbssa.com to learn more.
About Pilgrim’s
As a global food company with more than 58,000 team members, Pilgrim’s processes, prepares, packages and delivers fresh, frozen and value-added food products for customers in more than 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.pilgrims.com.