With persistent talent gaps in high-demand roles and tightening budgets, HR leaders are focused on how to do more with the workforce they already have—meaning growing talent from within and giving employees the skills they need to step into critical roles.

Leaders are shifting from reactive hiring to long-term workforce planning. The question isn’t just "How do we find more people?" but "How do we make better use of the team we’ve got?" For many, that involves upskilling current employees, opening paths for internal mobility, and simplifying access to skill-building opportunities.

In a recent roundtable, leaders from Medtronic, the world’s leading medical technology manufacturer, shared how they’ve put this mindset into action with a workforce development strategy that doesn’t just close gaps, but improves retention and drives cost savings.

Traditional tuition reimbursement programs put the burden on employees to pay upfront and wait for reimbursement—something many can’t afford, especially frontline workers. 

“We know and understand that talent is everywhere. But opportunity is not. It’s not equally distributed,” explained Sally Saba, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at Medtronic. Add in approval layers and eligibility limits, and the result is a benefit that often goes unused.

Medtronic took a different approach with its MAPS (Medtronic Advancement Pathways and Skill-building) program, which is designed to help current employees gain new, relevant skills without traditional hurdles. 

They did this by: 

This structure gives employees a clear, accessible path to learning—and gives Medtronic a way to build skills and meet critical talent needs from within.

A successful program like MAPS doesn’t happen overnight. Medtronic leaders knew the key was to start small. They rolled out MAPS in phases, focusing first on laying the groundwork: aligning stakeholders, testing the experience with smaller groups, and gathering early data to build confidence and help leaders rally around the program.

Rather than position it as something entirely new, they embedded MAPS into the company’s broader learning strategy. “We still have our traditional tuition reimbursement program, which is a great benefit. It's just not something that's feasible for all due to its structures and limitations,” added Kristin Erb, Sr. Manager, Global Talent Strategy & Programs at Medtronic. 

Introducing MAPS in this way made it easier to get buy-in from leadership—and easier for employees to see where it fit in their growth path. It also helped that MAPS complemented, rather than competed, with other internal initiatives. Scaling was deliberate, not rushed—and that’s what made it sustainable.

“Start small and just start somewhere,” said Erb. “It was the best way to build momentum and show the value.”

Results matter, and Medtronic’s education strategy is delivering in spades:

But it’s not just about numbers—it’s about the kind of employees those numbers reflect. 

Employees taking advantage of MAPS are the ones going above and beyond to build new skills while working full-time. These are the people companies want to retain and grow into future roles. And at Medtronic, they’re doing just that.

“Not only are these people staying,” said Jaime Hendrix, Senior Director, Global Talent & Leadership Development Strategy and Programs at Medtronic, “they’re putting themselves into new roles, into more leadership roles, and helping cultivate that next generation.”

The program continues to evolve alongside their business goals. “What we’re constantly doing,” Hendrix added, “is looking at every program we have and asking, ‘Is this still offering value?’” Since launching, MAPS has expanded from 300 to over 800 learning options—keeping pace with the skills and roles the business needs most.

But this kind of success doesn’t happen on autopilot. It takes real investment. “You have to dedicate a team and resources to this,” said Saba. “It can’t just be a side project amongst 20,000 other things you're doing.”

Medtronic’s success shows what’s possible when workforce development is treated as a business strategy—not just a benefit. When companies remove the barriers to participation, align learning to real roles, and give employees a clear path to grow, the results go far beyond engagement. You get stronger retention, internal mobility, and a workforce that’s ready for what’s next. 

Ready to explore how your business can see similar success? Get in touch with our team of education and skills development experts today.