Grand Rapids to Host State Wide Launch of McDonald’s Education Strategy

Is flipping burgers a dead-end job for a teen, the uneducated, low-income person? Not at McDonald's!

Today, Monday, June 15, McDonald’s is set to lead the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry to promote workforce education to ensure that eligible employees continue to  grow while working at McDonald’s restaurants, both company- and franchisee-owned. The strategy called Archways to OpportunityTM is being launched in restaurants throughout Michigan and beyond.

The strategy has been developed nationally with the opportunity to customize the needs for each individual. Depending on their individual needs, enrollees’ opportunities include:
• High school completion: allow eligible employees, in both company-owned restaurants and the restaurants of participating franchisees, to earn their high school diploma online at no costs.
• College credit connection: Help find an efficient, affordable way to a two- or four-year degree through:
- Provide Tuition assistance to ALL eligible employees in company-owned restaurants and the restaurants of participating franchisees.
- Providing free advising services
- Providing college credit recommendations from the American Counsel of Education for accredited training provided by McDonald’s word class management training programs.
• English under the Arches®: English as a second language program that teaches the English needed to communicate effectively and confidently with customers and staff.

Michigan’s new program kicks off today, Monday, June 15, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., at the Wyoming McDonald’s located on 44th Street and Clyde Park. The EUA course consists of 48 one-hour online sessions and six four-hour class sessions spread out over 22 weeks. The first course will train 10 employees from around Michigan that will graduate on November 9, 2015.