Truman Contributions in Economic Partnership
As a trusted resource in northeast Missouri, Truman can often play a unique role in efforts to support the community. Recently, the University joined a collaborative effort with the City of Kirksville and The Kraft Heinz Company to help meet workforce needs and bolster the local economy.
For its role in the partnership, Truman will utilize a currently unoccupied residence hall to provide temporary housing to recruited Kraft Heinz employees while they make permanent living arrangements in Kirksville. The University will also enroll all of the program participants in a one-credit course designed to aid in their transition to the area.
Representatives from Kraft Heinz, the City and Truman have worked together on the logistics of the program. If it is successful in Kirksville, Kraft Heinz could implement similar programs at its other facilities around the country.
Click here to read the original release from the City of Kirksville.
Frequently Asked Questions
The combined mission and vision notes “Truman State University is here to open opportunity, promote access and social mobility, foster excellence, recognize merit, and do all things that urge our students to make themselves productive, free and equal.” By collaborating with community partners, this program does all of those things. Participants have an opportunity for social mobility through increased wages, and as Truman students, they gain access to educational tools to make themselves productive, free and equal. Hopefully, after their initial one-course class, some of the employees will continue their education through Truman or Moberly Area Community College and the Bulldogs Beginnings Transition Program.
Kraft Heinz is recruiting employees through Hawaii and the American territory of Guam. Many may originally hail from the region of Micronesia, a collection of about 2,000 small islands located in the western Pacific Ocean. All of the individuals participating in the program are English speakers, and many will already be U.S. citizens, depending on their particular home island. All of the recruitment territories are part of the Compact of Free Association, a longstanding partnership with the United States, meaning all of the new employees can legally live and work in the country.
Kirksville is Truman’s home, and Kraft Heinz is one of the primary economic drivers in the region. When Kraft Heinz is successful, other entities in the community also benefit. All participants in the program will be compensated at well above minimum wage. Kraft Heinz is covering transportation and relocation costs for everyone involved, and having them enrolled as students will help with their transition to the community and lead to a stable, well-paid workforce.
The Kraft Heinz facility in Kirksville has experienced exponential growth in the past several years, including expanded production lines. With that level of growth, it has been difficult for the company to maintain a steady labor force drawing only from northeast Missouri.
Kraft Heinz will cover all of the associated costs for Truman for this program.
All of the participants will initially be non-degree seeking students, much like dual enrollment high school students or community members who register for one class as non-degree seeking.To continue their education at Truman they would have to go through the normal admission process.
All of the participants will reside in Centennial Hall while they are on campus. The residence hall was taken offline for the current school year and scheduled for minor renovations. A portion of the building will be used to accommodate program participants, typically 20-25 individuals at a time. As cohorts may occasionally overlap, Centennial Hall could temporarily see as many as 50 residents from the program at one time. No other current students live in the building.
Following preliminary interviews conducted by Kraft Heinz, everyone recruited through the program will undergo a background check that includes all components of Truman’s background check, and they must pass a drug screening before arriving in Kirksville. All of the participants in the program will be Truman students and therefore subject to the University Student Conduct Code in addition to a Housing Agreement. As employees of Kraft Heinz, they are expected to comply with the company’s Global Code of Conduct, and Kraft Heinz will also address any violations of Truman’s Student Conduct Code and Housing Agreement. Participants are also subject to all applicable city, state and federal laws.
Approximately 20-25 people will participate in the program at any given time. A majority are expected to be women under the age of 30. As cohorts may occasionally overlap, as many as 50 individuals from the program could be on campus at one time.
There is currently no plan to put an SA in the residence hall.Truman’s residence life/student engagement team will work with Kraft to address specific needs as they arise.
The course is modeled after the one offered for international students, but it will be modified for the needs of this group.
As Truman students, the program participants will have access to all campus resources. Since Truman is a public university, most of the resources on campus, with a few exceptions for fee-based amenities, are already open to the general public.
All of the participants in the program will be Truman students and therefore subject to the University Student Conduct Code in addition to a Housing Agreement. As employees of Kraft Heinz, they are expected to comply with the company’s Global Code of Conduct, and Kraft Heinz will also address any violations of Truman’s Student Conduct Code and Housing Agreement. Participants are also subject to all applicable city, state and federal laws.
This is only a pilot program. Truman’s continued participation is contingent on a number of factors, including Kraft Heinz’s employee needs and the availability of space on campus.