Known for his enthusiasm and hard-working nature, Edmonds rose to the position of restaurant manager, but the experience of becoming a father prompted him to reassess his work-life balance. He chose to lower his level of responsibility at work in order to spend more time at home with his family and make full use of the flexible working hours on offer, so he moved to the role of shift-running floor manager.
Last August, after hearing about McDonald's apprenticeship scheme, which is available to all employees regardless of their age or previous qualifications, Edmonds signed up to become an apprentice.
Working alongside several other apprentices in his restaurant, Edmonds completed the qualification in six months. He explains: "I didn't get as far as I wanted to at school and there were some gaps I wanted to fill.
"I really want to set a good example for my son and I want to make sure I can help him with his school study when he gets a bit older.
"The Maths and English part of the apprenticeship really helped with that, and now I feel a lot more confident. I want to show my son the value of education and that it's never too late to learn."
Since completing the apprenticeship, Edmonds has enrolled in a higher national diploma in Business and Marketing at his local college. The experience has also reignited his career ambition. He has set his sights on a management job at McDonald's UK headquarters, once his son is a little older, of course.
