McDonald’s has launched a career advising campaign for restaurant employees with the support of five industry influencers. The campaign aims to increase awareness for education, career advising services, to match restaurant employees with industry leaders to shadow them at work, and to highlight how skills learned at McDonald’s restaurants can be applied to employee's dream careers.
Where You Want to Be
McDonald's Where You Want To Be campaign helps restaurant employees connect the skills they learn at work with the education, tuition assistance and career tools available to progress in their career journey, whether at McDonald’s or elsewhere.
This campaign is based on employee insights from a McDonald's study that found the top industries McDonald’s restaurant employees want to be in, which include: arts/entertainment, technology, entrepreneurship, healthcare and restaurant/food service.
Through Where You Want To Be, McDonald’s wants to equip restaurant employees with the professional tools available to them through the company's career advising program, Archways to Opportunity. McDonald's has used the five identified industries to collaborate with five influencers in each industry and give a once-in-a-lifetime experience for employees to directly learn about their future career choice. The influencers include:
- Technology: Digital Content Creator, former McDonald’s crew member, Tyler Oakley
- Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneur and Author, James Altucher
- Healthcare: Board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon, Dr. Meena Singh
- Restaurant/Food Service: Community of McDonald’s Owner/Operators
“This campaign started by listening to employees,” says Melissa Kersey, McDonald’s U.S. Chief People Officer. “By connecting restaurant employees’ aspirations with the necessary education tools and career advising services to achieve them, we continue to reinforce our role as America’s Best First Job. Through this campaign and our ongoing education investments we are committed to helping all those who come to work for us – or our independent franchisees – to see the possibility of their own potential.”
Archways to Opportunity
McDonald’s Where You Want To Be campaign highlights the career tools available through its education program, Archways to Opportunity, which gives employees an opportunity to gain a high school diploma, receive college tuition assistance, access free education advising services and learn English as a second language. Since the Archways to Opportunity program launched in 2015, it has increased education access for over 33,000 people and given more than $42 million in high school and college tuition assistance.
With the help of partner Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), McDonald’s aims to help employees gain long-term career success through Archways to Opportunity.
“The focus McDonald’s is putting on restaurant employees and their education and future employability aligns perfectly with our mission, so we are proud to be taking our partnership to the next level,” said Dr. Marie Cini, President of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.
“As a young worker, it can be hard to look beyond the day-to-day and think about the future, but services like this can be a huge help for youth that may not know what careers are available to them and need help mapping out how to grow their skills, education and interests to be set up for success. With this new offering, McDonald’s is giving restaurant employees a big leg up in their journey to building the futures they want.”
A commitment to education opportunities
Where You Want To Be aligns with McDonald’s continuing commitment to education and advancement opportunities.
McDonald's initiative Youth Opportunity, in partnership with the International Youth Foundation, sets a global aim to reduce barriers to employment for two million young people by 2025 through training, employment opportunities and education programs.
McDonald’s has also expanded its HACER® National Scholarship from five to 30 winners, which gives more Hispanic students the chance to gain a college degree. Scholarship applicants have the opportunity to receive up to $100,000 to help finance their tuition.
McDonald's has also collaborated with the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund to support historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) by funding four “True to the HBCU” $10,000 scholarships to help create educational empowerment.
Fulfill your potential at McDonald's
McDonald’s is known for its diversity and inclusion efforts. There are many opportunities at this global company committed to making a difference. Search and apply for opportunities with this prime employer today.
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