Lyft will offer its drivers access to tuition discounts and financial aid, starting with online courses offered by Guild Education:
Lyft is unveiling a new education program for drivers, offering access to discounted GED and college courses online. The move is an interesting experiment in the gig economy, where a growing class of workers receive zero benefits from a boss and yet competition for their time is fierce.
[...] Lyft drivers will receive tuition discounts ranging from 5 percent to 20 percent and, according to the company, the average driver working with Guild to earn a degree can save up to $4,220 per year. Drivers can take English as a second language and GED courses, as well as earn an associates, bachelor's or master's degree online in subjects including IT, nursing, social work, occupational therapy and business.
Lyft would not disclose how much the program will cost the company. According to a Lyft survey of drivers to be published next month, 47 percent do not have a college degree. Gabe Cohen, general manager for Lyft in Denver, says internal surveys show that drivers want to earn degrees. This move serves that goal, as well as the startup's business interests. "It is important that drivers feel loyalty to Lyft," Cohen says.
[...] David Weil, dean at Brandeis University's Heller School of Social Policy and Management, is not impressed. Weil, who was in charge of investigating companies that misclassify workers under the Obama administration, describes the move by Lyft as strategic, but not generous. Lyft and Uber are fighting in courts against claims that drivers are employees entitled to benefits like paid sick leave and health care. "The ride-hailing companies can't erase the fact that their business models are having drivers do all sorts of things an employee would do," Weil says. To offer training is "really nice" but it doesn't mean Lyft should "be rewarded by having the other responsibilities removed," he says.
From Lyft's blog post:
Dallas driver Muhammed Chan learned by speaking with passengers from all walks of life that "there is serious demand for cyber security experts in my city." As part of our pilot program earlier this year, Muhammed received support to access financial aid and scholarships through Guild, and began a cybersecurity program earlier this month.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Tuesday December 12 2017, @09:16PM (3 children)
In many cases loyalty may be more valuable than ability. You can find plenty of skilled and talented people out there, but people willing to take the fall, keep their mouths shut, or otherwise support you 100% typically must be cultivated over a long period of time. The promise of rewards can make people somewhat loyal to you, but shared ideology and goals are more effective.
But in this case, people at the driver level are unlikely to care that much about the ideology or mission of a ride-hailing service, so rewards must be provided. It's also unclear that this would stop drivers from dual-driving for both Uber and Lyft. And ultimately, Uber and Lyft are likely to throw their drivers under the driverless bus.
I guess if this keeps some drivers working for your service for 2-3 years, that's a sufficient benefit. And fully autonomous ride-hailing is probably more than decade away (although it could be adopted faster by these services than by auto-buying consumers).
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(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday December 12 2017, @09:54PM (2 children)
> Uber and Lyft are likely to throw their drivers under the driverless bus.
That would explain why Uber has its own autonomous car effort. You can't rely on the big automakers, or waymo, to properly code the extra reverse-over maneuver, nor to queue in the car wash trip.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 12 2017, @10:02PM
It would be nefarious, but they could make the software pretend the trunk isn't locked properly. And when they detect the driver fiddling with it, backup over them.
(Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Tuesday December 12 2017, @10:25PM
Let's not forget that Lyft, not just Uber, is interested in offering ride-hailing of autonomous vehicles:
Lyft and Waymo (Google) Team Up for Autonomous Cars [soylentnews.org]
Lyft to Offer Autonomous Car Rides by the End of the Year [soylentnews.org] (Boston)
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