Investing in Shoppers’ Futures: Expanding Our Merit America Partnership with New Scholarships and Opportunities

At Instacart, we've always been committed to supporting the shoppers who serve customers across North America. Many shoppers tell us they choose our platform for its flexibility while pursuing bigger career goals—and we want to be there to support those ambitions.

That's why we're excited to share an update on our partnership with Merit America, a leading, national workforce development organization that provides accessible, flexible career training for working adults. After over one year of collaboration, we're expanding our commitment to shopper economic mobility with new scholarships, innovative workforce initiatives, and access to emerging career fields and AI skills training.

Launching Instacart-Sponsored Scholarships

As we celebrate more than one year of partnership with Merit America, we’re excited to announce $20,000 in new funding for Instacart-sponsored scholarships to help remove financial barriers for shoppers pursuing career training. This builds on the success of our initial 5 scholarship recipients, all of whom completed their programs in September 2025. 

“Instacart is showing what it looks like when a platform actively supports its community’s economic mobility,” said Connor Diemand-Yauman, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Merit America. “By expanding scholarship funding for Merit America’s programs, Instacart is giving shoppers a real path to higher-paying careers.”

The new scholarship funding offers even more flexibility to support tuition costs, ensuring more shoppers can access these door-opening opportunities.

“I had been shopping with Instacart for more than seven years when they sent me a message saying I’d won the scholarship for Merit America. The main thing I’ve learned [through this program] is the importance of transferable skills. I used to be nervous to apply for jobs because I didn’t have five years of experience or whatever they asked for; but this has shown me I do have a lot of experience and a lot of strengths. I’m glad Instacart partnered with Merit America and that they gave me this opportunity.” - Ernesto in California, Cybersecurity track — scholarship recipient

Year One: 400 Shoppers Enrolled and Learning

Since launching our partnership in August 2024, we've seen incredible engagement from the shopper community. Over 4,500 shoppers have started their Merit America journey, with 400 having enrolled in career training across fields like cybersecurity, IT support, UX design, and more.

The results speak to the power of accessible career training: 75+ shoppers have completed programs and entered the job search phase, with 11 securing new roles with an average earning increase of $41,000. These stories represent real shoppers like Jacqueline, who accepted a Facility IT Support role with an e-commerce retailer after program completion, and Deearius, who leveraged UX Design training to become an Assistant Manager with a hospitality company.

"I found out about Merit America through an Instacart newsletter. I could go on and on about the support I felt through the program. I want to say thank you for me and for all the other shoppers out there who’ve taken advantage of this program. It’s been life-changing. Instacart giving you the opportunity to further your education was amazing. It shows that they really care about the shoppers.” - Deearius in Washington, D.C., UX Design track

What's particularly meaningful is that while nearly two-thirds of Instacart shoppers have some college education or higher, 94% of shoppers participating in Merit America’s programs don't have 4-year degrees, based on recent survey data, reinforcing that these offerings create pathways to career advancement for those who might not have had access to traditional educational opportunities.

Partnering on Super Bowl LX Bridge to Work

We're also proud to have participated in the recent Super Bowl LX Bridge to Work Initiative in partnership with the Bay Area Host Committee and Merit America. This innovative program offered participating shoppers paid Super Bowl work plus free access to Merit America career training, along with a completion stipend — a total value exceeding $10,000 per participant.

This "earn while you learn" model exemplifies what workforce development can look like when flexibility meets opportunity. Nine Bay Area shoppers enrolled in the program, and we're excited to see how this initiative supports both immediate earning needs and long-term career goals.

Expanding Into Emerging, High-Demand Fields

As part of Instacart’s expanded partnership with Merit America, including the new scholarship funding announced today, shoppers will now have access to multiple new program tracks launching in 2026. These offerings are designed to focus on industries with strong job growth and career pathways that do not require a four-year degree, complementing existing programs in areas such as IT Support, Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics. 

Merit America has also embedded AI knowledge-building and practical applications across all program tracks, enabling learners to build foundational AI literacy and learn to use emerging tools in real-world professional settings. Together, these additions ensure shoppers can train for high-demand roles in an evolving job market.

“I originally found Instacart online while looking for flexible, part-time work, and it ended up being the perfect solution. I’ve always wanted to advance my career through education, but at first, I didn’t think I could afford it. A few months later, Instacart offered a discount for the Merit America program, and I took it as a sign. Long-term, I hope to use data analytics to support the small business I started with my friends, and eventually start a job in the field. It’s an incredible opportunity for Instacart shoppers.” - Syrena in California, Data Analytics track

Promoting Additional AI Learning Opportunities for Shoppers

Instacart is also working with the Department of Labor to expand access to AI learning opportunities for shoppers. The agency recently launched the Make America AI-Ready initiative, which offers a free AI 101 course designed to help American workers build foundational AI skills. The course delivers lessons and daily challenges via text message, allowing users to complete it in just seven days, with about 10 minutes of engagement per day.

Instacart will promote the course to shoppers nationwide alongside Merit America training and scholarship opportunities, reaching hundreds of thousands of shoppers through multiple communications channels. Going forward, Instacart will continue to identify and share additional education and upskilling resources to support shoppers as they navigate the future of work.

“Public-private partnership is essential to ensuring Americans are prepared for the opportunities of a changing economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “Companies investing in our workforce, like Instacart and Merit America, can help lead the way by expanding access to career training, scholarships, and practical AI learning to help more workers unlock new opportunities. We are proud of the Department of Labor’s new ‘Make America AI-Ready’ initiative, our accessible, text-based AI literacy course, which aims to equip American workers with the foundational tools they need to succeed and support their families.”

Supporting Shoppers On and Off the Platform
For Instacart, this expanded collaboration with Merit America is part of a broader commitment to champion shoppers’ long-term economic mobility.
In addition to these collaborations, Instacart is committed to connecting shoppers with a wide range of resources to help them thrive in an evolving economy, including tools like Carrot Academy learning modules, financial wellness and savings programs, and shopper rewards and incentives. 

“Our partnership with Merit America reflects a core belief: that supporting shoppers means investing in their success both on and off the platform,” said Tom Maguire, Vice President and Head of Operations at Instacart. “Whether that's through the flexibility to work while learning, financial support to remove barriers, or access to training in emerging fields, we're committed to creating pathways to further economic opportunity.”

We're grateful for the shoppers who've embraced these opportunities, and look forward to supporting even more of our community in pursuing their career goals.