More than 7,500 employees have taken advantage of high school
and college programs to improve their skills, support their
families and enrich their communities
When Felipa Benitez joined HanesBrands’ Honduras operations
seven years ago, she could not read or write. Today, the
34-year-old mother of two is one of the latest HanesBrands
employees to hold a new high school diploma after participating in
the company-sponsored continuing education program.
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Felipa Benitez could not read or write
when she joined HanesBrands in Honduras in 2009. By participating
in the company’s continuing education program, Felipa recently
earned her high school diploma – and has received a scholarship to
attend college. (Photo: Business Wire)
Felipa, a facilities assistant at Hanes’ corporate office in
Villanueva, Honduras, joined 150 of her colleagues last month to
don robes and celebrate all the pomp and circumstance of the
country’s seventh and latest graduation ceremony. Felipa is now
continuing on to college.
“I am grateful for the support I received through the company’s
education program,” said Benitez, who received a college
scholarship during the graduation ceremony. “My life has completely
changed.”
Since its inception in 2009, more than 2,000 HanesBrands
employees in Honduras, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic have
earned high school diplomas, more than 10 have earned college
degrees, and another 1,500 are currently participating in high
school, technical, college and even post-graduate college programs.
Many of these employees have secured promotions or moved to
higher-level roles within the company.
“Hanes has provided more than 250,000 hours of education to
develop the talent of its employees, support families and enrich
the communities where we operate in Central America and the
Caribbean,” said Maria Elena Sikaffy, vice president of human
resources, Hanes Central America and the Caribbean. “And the
entrepreneurial spirit we recognize in our employees has motivated
us to continuing to invest in extending our education
programs.”
Benitez began her employee educational journey at a first-grade
level and studied for seven years to earn her high-school
degree.
“From the moment I began the program, I decided to do my best so
I could set a good example for my daughter,” Benitez said. “I also
wanted make everyone who encouraged me – my family and coworkers –
feel proud.”
The region’s employees also have access to technical training
designed to enhance their skills in textile manufacturing. Hanes
opened the first technical school of its kind in the region within
its large El Salvador Textiles fabric plant in 2014. In 2015,
similar programs were launched in two of the company’s plants in
Honduras, and last year, Hanes opened the first bleach-and-dye
training center in the Dominican Republic.
Hanes is also supporting employees who have even greater
aspirations by developing higher-education programs in partnership
with local universities in El Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican
Republic.
“Offering life-changing educational opportunities benefits both
our employees and our company,” said Eduardo Valerio, manager of
organizational development, Hanes Central America and the
Caribbean, who noted that Hanes offers employee discounts on
college tuition and scholarships to outstanding students.
For manager-level employees, the company introduced an
International Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in El
Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic, which focuses on
supply-chain management. It was launched in partnership with the
prestigious EUNCET Business School, a center for higher education
associated with the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in
Spain.
“This ambitious program, which includes classes in operational
subjects such as supply chain strategy, organizational vision and
leadership development, is a key part of the company’s competitive
strategy,” Valerio said. “Hanes is focused on remaining a highly
competitive company in the future, and that requires developing the
next generation of leaders today.”
The first class of MBA students graduated last July in El
Salvador, followed the next month by a graduating class in
Honduras. About 80 managers have completed the program, and 40 are
currently enrolled.
Hanes has been operating in Central America and the Caribbean
for more than 40 years, and currently has 30,000 employees in the
region. The company’s corporate social responsibility programs have
been recognized by the Honduran Foundation for Corporate Social
Responsibility (FUNDAHRSE), the Salvadoran Rotary Club, and the
Mexican Center for Philanthropy (CEMEFI). In 2015, The Great Place
to Work Institute named Hanes the third best multinational company
to work for in Central America and the Caribbean, the first apparel
company to garner such an honor.
HanesBrands
HanesBrands, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., is a socially
responsible leading marketer of everyday basic innerwear and
activewear apparel in the Americas, Europe, Australia and
Asia/Pacific under some of the world’s strongest apparel brands,
including
Hanes, Champion, Playtex, DIM, Bali, Maidenform, Bonds, JMS/Just
My Size, L´eggs, Wonderbra, Nur Die/Nur
Der, Lovable, Berlei, and Gear for Sports. The
company sells T-shirts, bras, panties, shapewear, underwear, socks,
hosiery, and activewear produced in the company’s low-cost global
supply chain. A member of the S&P 500 stock index, Hanes has
approximately 70,000 employees in more than 40 countries and is
ranked No. 448 on the Fortune 500 list of America’s largest
companies by sales. Hanes takes pride in its strong reputation for
ethical business practices. The company is the only apparel
producer to ever be honored by the Great Place to Work Institute
for its workplace practices in Central America and the Caribbean,
and is ranked No. 167 on the Forbes magazine list of America’s Best
Employers. For seven consecutive years, Hanes has won the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star sustained
excellence/partner of the year award – the only apparel company to
earn sustained excellence honors. The company ranks No. 172 on
Newsweek magazine’s green list of 500 largest U.S. companies for
environmental achievement. For more information about the company
and its corporate social responsibility initiatives, including
environmental, social compliance and community improvement
achievements go to www.Hanes.com/corporate, and connect on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/hanesbrandsinc) and Twitter (@hanesbrands).
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HanesBrandsCarole Crosslin, 336-519-3201 (English)orMariana
Mora, 630-632-8107 (Spanish)
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