(UNITED STATES) — Walmart Inc. expanded a worker training push aimed at moving hourly associates into higher-paying technician jobs as the retailer tries to blunt labor shortages in skilled trades across its stores and distribution centers.
Walmart has been building in-house pipelines for roles tied to HVAC, refrigeration, facilities maintenance, electrical work, and automation technicians, betting that tuition-free training and clearer career paths can fill gaps that external hiring has struggled to close.
The A2T program: structure and curriculum
Walmart’s Associate to Technician (A2T) program trains existing hourly associates for skilled trade roles. No prior experience or degree is required, provided workers have managerial approval and demonstrated dedication.
Certifications earned through A2T are transferable outside Walmart, so keep digital copies and plan how they could boost future maintenance roles beyond the company.
- Duration: Six months
- Training mix: 70% hands-on practice and 30% classroom instruction
- Core coursework topics:
- OSHA safety
- Electrical fundamentals
- Troubleshooting
Walmart has pointed to technician and skilled support roles as areas where tight labor markets have made hiring and retention harder.
Why Walmart is expanding internal training
The initiative responds to a broader U.S. skilled labor gap tied to retirements, reduced immigration, and demand outpacing available workers. Walmart frames the approach as both an operational solution and a worker benefit:
- Strengthen internal staffing for maintenance and repair roles to reduce operational downtime.
- Offer frontline employees a pathway to stable careers and higher wages without external vocational programs.
- Emphasize skills and training over traditional credentials in parts of the labor market.
Results, wages, and targets
Walmart launched A2T as a six-month pilot in Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas, with 100 associates in spring 2024. The first class produced 108 graduates in mid-2024, and all secured technician roles.
Expansion followed in 2025 to Vincennes, Indiana, and Jacksonville, Florida, as part of a longer-term plan to train thousands of workers by the end of the decade.
- As of mid-November 2025, nearly 400 employees had graduated from the program.
- Every Dallas–Fort Worth pilot participant transitioned to technician positions averaging $32 per hour.
Wage ranges reported:
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Typical technician pay (pilot average) | $32 per hour |
| Reported pay range for trained technicians | $19–$45 per hour |
| Company average hourly wage (2023) | $18 (up 30% in five years) |
| Annual bonuses available to hourly workers | up to $1,000 |
Walmart said technicians in some roles can potentially earn up to $45 per hour.
Career pathways and internal mobility
Shelley Harbison, director of performance, acceleration, and growth within Facility Services, directs the A2T initiative. Walmart ties A2T to wider career advancement pathways designed to move associates into:
- Technician roles
- Management positions
- Specialized technical roles
Participant examples:
- Liz Cardenas, 24 — advanced from automation equipment operator in Lancaster, Texas (started May 2023) to fixing conveyor belts and equipment.
- Hurk Kenney — 11-year Walmart veteran who gained skills in plumbing, woodworking, electricity, and HVAC.
Walmart emphasizes that certifications gained can be transferable outside the company.
Broader training ecosystem
Walmart’s training push sits within a larger learning framework:
- Walmart Academy — customer service, leadership, and technical certifications. Company states 75% of salaried U.S. store, club, and supply chain managers started as hourly associates.
- Live Better U — broader education offerings such as high school completion and IT certificates.
- Tuition-free programming — core to A2T’s pitch, combining classroom instruction with on-the-job practice to shorten the time to job-ready skills.
Walmart has set formal targets and investments:
- Goal: Train 4,000 associates by 2030 through A2T.
- Investment: $1 billion in skills training by 2026.
The company also cites workforce trends in 2025 focused on retention, upskilling, and AI upskilling partnerships.
Industry context and analysis
Skilled-trades hiring strains show up in job-posting data tied to the broader shortage:
- Plumber apprentices: 24% job posting increase; 29 days unfilled
- Roofer apprentices: 50% increase; 39 days unfilled
- Electrician helpers: 15% increase; 27 days unfilled
Analysts say internal training pipelines can ease pressure but may not fully close gaps. Mervin Jebaraj of the University of Arkansas’s Walton College of Business noted such programs help but won’t eliminate shortages amid immigration limits.
Walmart positions its model as building talent internally rather than relying on a thin external market for qualified applicants. The training model starts with current workers and moves them into roles that often pay substantially more than entry-level hourly positions.
Retention and operational benefits
Walmart ties A2T to retention improvements, saying turnover is down where internal mobility and clearer wage progression exist. The company argues that workers are more likely to stay when they can see a path to higher wages and new responsibilities.
Operationally, the program aims to reduce downtime from equipment failures that can disrupt store operations and supply chain activity. Staffing skilled maintenance and repair roles internally shortens response times compared with hiring external candidates who require specific experience.
Walmart’s training strategy shows how large employers are attempting to fill trade jobs amid tighter labor markets by turning associates into technicians, while offering a route to wages that in some roles can reach $45 an hour.
Hiring and recent retention activity
For job seekers, Walmart’s message is that entry roles can serve as a starting point for technical careers. Applicants can begin with entry roles through Walmart careers that lead into A2T.
Reminder: Walmart aims to train 4,000 associates by 2030. Watch store notices and Walmart careers pages for new A2T cohorts and application windows.
Walmart also cited recent activity in New York as evidence of workforce investment:
- 22,000+ New York associates received bonuses
- 2,300 promotions in the past year
These figures are presented as part of a broader retention and advancement push.
Takeaway
Walmart’s expanded A2T program represents a skills-first approach to addressing technician shortages by investing in tuition-free, hands-on training for existing associates. The initiative seeks to meet operational needs and provide workers with upward mobility and pay gains, while contributing to a broader employer-led response to U.S. skilled-trades labor shortages.
Walmart’s expanded Associate to Technician (A2T) program provides hourly workers with tuition-free training for high-demand skilled trades. Combining classroom and hands-on learning, the program moves employees into roles paying up to $45 per hour. This initiative addresses the national shortage of electricians and HVAC technicians while improving internal retention. Walmart plans to invest $1 billion by 2026 to scale these internal talent pipelines significantly.
