McDonald's to offer qualification that is equivalent to an A-level
McDonald's has become one of the first companies in the UK to be given Awarding Body status by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), enabling them to award accredited qualifications, equal to GCSE's, A levels and degrees, to employees for the first time.
McDonald's has been piloting a 'Basic Shift Managers' course since the beginning of the year, to teach staff everything they need know about the day-to-day running of a restaurant, from basic operational requirements and marketing to human resources and finance.
The initiative aims to give official credit to training which otherwise would not be recognised outside of McDonald's and demonstrate how the workplace can be part of employees' continuous learning.
Response from David Fairhurst
"Receiving official awarding body status is an important step for McDonald's 67,000 employees. It is testimony to the strength of the training systems and standards at McDonald's. We're delighted and excited to be in the vanguard of employers with the power to accredit their own qualifications.
"As a progressive employer, it is a natural extension to the qualifications we already offer. Our 67,000 UK staff can already study towards nationally recognised Level 1 and 2 basic skills qualifications in accredited exam centre restaurants.
"Our employees tell us they want the chance to do more formal learning and we're responding to that. From this January, we are proud to be piloting our own externally recognised qualifications for our management training.
Comment from John Denman, Secretary of State for Skills
"This is an important step towards ending the old divisions between company training schemes and national qualifications, something that will benefit employees, employers and the country as a whole"
