Target expands education benefits, 40,000 workers enroll in Dream to Be

Target’s clearest promotion path now starts with education, not just extra shifts. More than 40,000 team members have enrolled in Dream to Be since the program launched in September 2021, and U.S. workers can use it from day one to pursue tuition-free associate and undergraduate degrees, certificates and other programs through Guild.

The catalog is broad enough to matter for workers who want to move from entry-level jobs into something bigger. Guild says Target team members can choose from roughly 250 programs at more than 40 schools, colleges and universities, including undergraduate and master’s degrees, certificates, bootcamps, high school completion, college prep and English language learning. Some other undergraduate programs carry up to $5,250 a year, while other master’s degrees can receive up to $10,000 a year.

Target says Dream to Be is only one part of a larger development system. The company points to a learning library with more than 20,000 videos, books, audiobooks, activities, webinars and boot camps, along with on-the-job development, mentorship, coaching and sponsorship. Target also says team members complete 10 million training hours a year, which shows how tightly development is woven into the daily operating model.

The scale is already visible in the results. By late September 2025, Target said Dream to Be had topped 40,000 enrollments and 10,000 graduations, and that it had invested $300 million in team members through the program. Aspen Institute says Target employs more than 400,000 people, and Target says it serves guests at nearly 2,000 stores and at Target.com, so the benefit reaches far beyond a single department or region.

The timing matters because Target is tying worker development to a broader business reset. In March 2026, the company said it would add more than $1 billion in capital spending and $1 billion in operating investments, including higher payroll and training, as it works to improve the guest experience. For a worker on the sales floor or in supply chain, the path is straightforward: get into Dream to Be, use the learning library, take the coaching and mentorship, and turn completed credentials and training into the proof that usually opens the next role.