Do you want a degree with that?

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Do you want a degree with that?

McDonald’s staff will swap burgers for textbooks through a new partnership with Massey University that will see restaurant managers work towards a business degree.

The two organisations have signed an agreement that creates a pathway for McDonald’s staff to complete a Bachelor of Business Studies or Diploma or Certificate in Business Studies.

The unique agreement recognises McDonald’s in-house education and allows staff to cross credit their prior learning towards an undergraduate qualification at Massey University.

“It’s important that universities meet the needs of employers, especially in terms of skilled graduates,” says the head of Massey’s College of Business Professor Ted Zorn. “Because we’ve recognised the quality of their prior learning, this initiative creates a real pathway for McDonald’s to develop staff capability.

“We see this very much as a partnership – we’ve listened to what McDonald’s required and delivered a flexible solution.”

McDonald’s has also introduced a scholarship programme for eligible staff to cover their tuition fees. Restaurant managers at company-owned restaurants can access the scholarship, along with head office staff that wish to pursue further education as part of their development.

“Talent is a key focus for McDonald’s, and we’re delighted to be able to offer the opportunity for higher education to our restaurant managers,” says McDonald’s Restaurants New Zealand managing director Patrick Wilson. “The partnership with Massey University is testament to the quality of our internal training programmes, and a great example of industry working with leading education providers.

“McDonald’s is one of the country’s largest employers of youth – over a quarter of our franchisees started off as crew, and 60 per cent of our head office staff have come from restaurants. McDonald’s offers great opportunities – I never would’ve guessed as an 18 year old working in a McDonald’s that one day I’d be the managing director. The flexibility of being able to learn while you earn is something many of our staff appreciate, and the Massey University partnership is a fantastic extension of what we can offer our people.”

The first McDonald’s staff could begin their studies as early as November when Massey runs its Summer School programme. Those eligible for the programme will be restaurant managers who have completed a National Diploma in Hospitality (Operational Management), an in-house course run for McDonald’s by Service IQ.

The cross credits awarded for this study will allow students to reduce the time it would take to complete a degree by about two years if studying part-time. This is of huge value to restaurant managers who often run businesses with million-dollar turnovers.

Professor Zorn says providing applied learning opportunities for a major organisation like McDonald’s is an exciting prospect for the College of Business.

“As the country’s leading provider of tertiary distance learning programmes, and with campuses in three locations, Massey really is the only university that could deliver a programme like this for a national corporation like McDonald’s,” he says.

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