McDonalds to hand out diplomas?
 

Imagine the scene: "Now son, what qualifications have you got?"
"Here you are, I've got this certificate."
"Oh really, lets see- whats this? Signed in burger fat, sealed with tomato ketchup splodge & this signature at the bottom-is it really Ronald MacDonalds?"
As John McEnroe would no doubt say "You cannot be serious!"
Wonder if it will eventually become a free gift feature-buy two Big Macs & get certified-could catch on!!!!:hehetable

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a level in being big

Re: McDonalds to hand out diplomas?
 

Ello John I see your back on the fries section fail your 'A' levels did you?

Yeah Tracy, It was going all right until they asked what's the recipe for the secret sauce?

Weeeelll! I just didn't know the answer!

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MY GOD!! As it happens, me, Ginger and 2 of our friends fancied a little time AWAY from the kids tonight ( poor ginger and his friend have worked very hard this year, wives feeling very neglected :D)

So we had a run out to Blackpool. ( I won quite a lot off £1.00 on a bandit) which I never usually play on.

Anyway, with it being out of season we were politely asked to leave at 10:00pm from the arcade.

ME ( being the big eater that I am!!....even though I am only size 8 ) asked " can we please grab something to eat, I'm starving" :D

Sooo we ended up at McDonalds. Then ginger told me about this thing where kids were " maybe " encouraged to get a " DIPLOMA" in working in these kind of fast food stores :eek:

I'm sorry, but if either of my children came home from school on the HIGH HOPE that they would leave school to work in MCdonalds.....I as a mother would be very very disappointed. :(

Now don't get me wrong! I know someone has got to do it, but I think these positions are better filled by people that just NEED A LITTLE HOLIDAY MONEY. It really isn't a job to aim high for, for the rest of a kids life.

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when i heard this on last nights news, i checked the calendar, thought it was April 1st.:rolleyes:

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And just how much worth will these McGCSE's have when the holder attempts to get a job in a company other than McDonalds? Sod all, I would imagine.

The fact that Gordon Brown, our McPrime Minister, can quite seriously tell us how good these courses are shows just how far we are along the road to becoming a Mccountry. Sad, really sad.

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Heard an area manager from Liverpool for Macd's pontificating about the marvelous life a "career" at Macs is-no doubt his salary of £45K went further to his love of life with burger & fries! Wonder what qualifications he has? No wonder the last round in store cost me so much.

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I haven't read too much about this yet but I think the diploma is aimed more at managerial levels. Getting away from the McDonalds front line staff I would imagine managerial skills at Macs are as good as any retail environment, especially the skills in staff/man managment, dealing with people who are not usually the brightest sparks could be quite a challenge :D

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It's not just McDonald's who have been acredited with these on-job qualifications, it's also Flybe and Network Rail.

Learning on the job | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Politics

Personally I think it is a good idea, and might encourage people who left school with no qualifications, back into further education, if they so wish, and improve their career prospects.

I wonder if there will be league tables, and that you'll find parents moving house, so that they fall in the catchment area of good burger bars?:D

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....................................

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I agree with Garry.
Working at MacDonalds can teach a young person a lot about the discplines of having a job,
that you need to be there at set hours
be punctual and clean and tidy
learn to handle cash (giving change etc),
work as part of a team
deal with members of the public

Having a proper training programme (with diplomas awarded).

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ya shouldn't need a diploma to be punctual,clean n tidy, deal with public etc,i think its basic common sense in retail. and basic set hours ya have with 90% of any jobs. if were gonna start bribing people to go work, weve gone further down the pan than even i figured.

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I agree that it is basic common sense, but they are all discplines that need to be learnt, when you start your first job. At school you are told what to do, where to go etc, but you need to learn to obey orders but also to think for yourself (rather than be told) once you are in work.

I am sure that there was a time in your life when you needed to learn 'Life Skills' and this was probably in your first job.

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ya never stop learning life skills IMHO, n yes ya learn em at work,i'm questioning the need for a diploma for doing it:confused: its called waking up in the real world to me.

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The diploma isn't aimed at the basic stuff though cashy. It's to with learning the skills of finance, hr and other managerial functions. They aren't going to get a diploma for serving burgers or cleaning the bogs :D

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can see that, but like in banks n other places i thought the general idea was work yer way up, start at the bottom etc:confused: were the hell does a diploma come into it.?

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I don't know, but I suspect that you will still have to work your way up the corporate ladder, it's just that emploees, if they so wish, will be able to gain an accredited qualification that would be recognised by other employers too.

The three companies are receiving no state money to fund these qualifications, and if it means someone who has no other qualifications, can go on to a better job, I think it's great.

No we are a country with very little manufacturing industries left, and retail is the fourth biggest employer in the U.K., these initiatives can only help people.

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Just because they've been recognised by the QCA doesn't necessarily mean that educational institutions and other employers are going to accept them.

Seems like a blatant attempt by a fast food provider to gain respectability in my opinion.

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No it doesn't.

Though if two candidates were applying for a job, and one had no qualifications at all, and the other had got off their arse to do this, I know who I'd more likely give the job to.

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'As for transferability, it is doubtful that students would harm their career prospects by taking a McDonald's course in basic management. Like or loathe its burgers, the company has a reputation for turning out well-trained employees. Not many graduates could claim to be able to run a franchise employing 50 people with a £2m turnover. The course would not equip them to open a top London restaurant, but neither would a traditional A-level.'

FT.com / Home UK / UK - Mc A-grade levels

The Financial Times seems to think vocational qualifications such as this, are a good idea.

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I'm with Rindy on this one. Once you get past the media driven stereotyping of the McDonald worker the managment skills picked up when they are past the counter service will be as good if not better than a lot of others. Like it or not they are now one of our country's most succesful employers, the business ethos is probably one of the best.

I wonder what the reaction would be if Asda or Tesco were to jump on board this scheme.

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I'm with Garinda on this one. It can only be a good thing, to get people who wouldn't normally be able to get any qualifications a chance.

I went to school with a girl who started at McDonalds when she went to college, and is now an area manager for them on a hell of a lot of money, whilst all the people who were in her physiotherapy class at college are all having trouble finding jobs

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But, then again, there are others who don't...

"Employees may find they are locked into that business because the awards don't have credibility outside the company like GCSEs, A levels or NVQs do."
- Professor Alan Smithers, director of the centre for education and employment research at the University of Buckingham.

Still, I suppose the proof of the pudding (or even the double cheese whopper with fries) is in the eating.

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Tesco's training schemes are really good (a bit boring!!) but good. You should see the work books for the Options Management Training! and the training files in the training room, its like a library!

Although the are only qualifications that are recognized within Tesco stores.

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It's a fair point but once you are on the job ladder most intelligent employers will look at your work experience rather than your qualifiactions. The qualifications will only be a back up to the experience.

Probably one of the most dinosaur employers of today who still look at qualifications more than experience are government, civil service etc where you need a degree that was paid for by a rich Daddy and a funny handshake to get promoted.

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I don't doubt they are but taking the view that most people take with Mcd's then the argument would be why get a diploma for shelf filling :D

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This country spends £38 million pounds annually on training programmes. None of them accredited, unlike these new qualifications.

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well to me its de-valuing a diploma, in the same way those that know best have de-valued exam passes in the schools, says cashy running for cover.:tongueout

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That's a different kettle of fish.

We all know that passing the old 11-plus is worth more than being awarded a first class degree in 'meedya' studies.:D

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But wouldn't that be discrimination against the front line troops at maccyds? Having a son who got a real degree from uni but paid some of his way thru working at a maccyd know that some management arent always as bright as this scheme may suggest!:eek:

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Exactly Willow, know I have said this in another thread, but my lad worked at McDonalds whilst at school taking his A-levels, and cannot fault the discipline, assessments, attention to uniform, 'rules' (:D) they laid down, plus a certificate in Health and Safety. Taught him plenty about how to fit in with a team and respect for the Managers, plus very fair with their needs too e.g.. always made sure they got home OK after a late shift (which my son always had to do).

I feel sure this diploma, like you, will sit well with other prospective employers, although I am sure McDonalds would not wish them to move on after attaining same, but encourage them to stay within the group and move up.