Amy Johnson is the latest McDonald’s employee to be awarded an Apprenticeship in Hospitality, two years after the fast food giant launched its apprenticeship programme. More than 8,000 employees are working towards their apprenticeship in addition to the 3,000 staff that have completed the qualification.
Within London McDonald's employs 190 qualified apprentices in its restaurants, while there are 150 working in its 10 Nottingham restaurants. The McDonald's apprenticeship is also proving particularly popular in Glasgow, Liverpool Manchester, Blackpool and Leeds.
Johnson joined McDonald’s while studying towards her A-Levels at school, looking to earn a little while she learned. After a few months, she chose to concentrate on her career at McDonald’s, becoming a full-time staff member. She was encouraged by her restaurant manager to get involved with the apprenticeship programme last year.
"The Apprenticeship Scheme was a really good alternative to A-Levels for me. It’s more relevant for me and on-the-job training means you can see the purpose for studying. It’s made me feel much more confident. There are a lot of challenges to cope with day-to-day in the restaurant, but now I feel like I can take anything on," she said.
"Soon I’d like to become a crew trainer, helping other people get their qualifications too. Then I’ll become a shift manager and go on to take the management diploma."
McDonald’s UK vice president for people, Jez Langhorn, said the company was committed to creating opportunities for its people that help them achieve their full potential.
"Over the last five years we’ve extended this philosophy to recognise our employees’ skills and training with transferable, nationally recognised qualifications. The training and development opportunities we provide have enabled thousands of our people to gain valuable qualifications every year, from apprenticeships right through to foundation degrees," he said.
"Traditional lines between education and employment are blurring, and young people no longer want to choose between the two and we believe that businesses like ours have a responsibility to meet these demands. As a result, we have created an approach that works well for our people, our business and our sector".
McDonald’s employs 85,000 people across the UK and has pledged to create 3,000 new jobs this year. It has a track record of investing in the development of its people and offering flexibility. The apprenticeship programme forms part of its annual £36 million investment in training that offers employees access to a full range of nationally recognised qualifications.