AI is impacting white-collar jobs, prompting a shift towards skilled traditional trades. Whole Foods has implemented artisan-skilled apprenticeships, training about 1,300 employees. These programs offer various specializations, including butchering and cake decorating. The initiative aims to provide new career paths for younger generations facing employment challenges in a tech-driven economy. Whole Foods anticipates continued growth in their training offerings, which increase employee wages upon entering the program and enhance job security amidst automation trends.
"What began as a single program with just a few hundred participants has grown into a portfolio of seven specialized training tracks, with more on the way," Sonya Gafsi Oblisk, chief merchandising and marketing officer at Whole Foods, tells Fortune.
Since its launch in 2023, the program has collectively enrolled more than 1,300 of its employees, and recently added pizzaioli to its training offering.
Other lines of speciality include fishmonger, meat butcher, bakery decorator, cheese professional, and produce professional.
Oblisk says that employee wages are increased when they enter the program, with pay varying based on their previous salary and apprentice track.
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