If you have ever tried to help a young person find a first job that could lead to a career, you may have stumbled across a posting from PetSmart, the national pet products retailer, that offers free training as a pet groomer — no experience required.
The job promises new hires access to the PetSmart Grooming Academy where they will participate in “an exclusive and knowledge-filled four-week, 160-hour-long program” that includes classroom training, hand-on grooming experience under the guidance of a senior groomer and a tool kit “worth over $600” upon graduation.
Free training that comes at a price
It’s a compelling offer. Free training is seen as value-add for new hires, especially if it helps inexperienced workers develop an in-demand skill. But PetSmart’s promised training comes with a catch.
New groomers are expected to pay back the full price of the training — up to $5,600 including the groomers kit — if they don’t stay with the company for two full years, even if they are fired or laid off. The debt is reduced to about $2,750 after one full year on the job.
PetSmart also requires all of its groomers to sign a Training Repayment Agreement Provision as part of its new hire paperwork, which includes language saying the training “is voluntary, for my personal benefit, and is transferable to grooming positions with other employers.”
Illegal scheme
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