MCDONALDS SERVING UP QUALIFICATIONS AS WELL AS BURGERS

It was announced last week that fast food chain McDonalds has now received government approval to become an examination board. Good news for the company’s staff as it will now be able to offer them nationally recognised “A” level standard qualifications, an alternative to traditional qualifications. The new McDonalds in-house course will teach staff about recruitment, human resources, people management, hygiene, health and safety and stock control, amongst other skills. Basically it will teach them everything they need to know about running a fast food outlet.

Network Rail, The Ministry of Defence and Flybe have also been given examination board status and will now be able to offer their staff nationally recognised certificates. The plan, the first of its kind in Europe, is part of a government initiative to offer workers more on-the-job training and help create a skilled workforce in the U.K. According to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, it’s all about wining the “global skills race”. Business leaders have welcomed the new initiative which will bridge the gap between company training schemes and nationally recognised qualifications. However teachers’ unions have condemned the new plans as a “farce” and say that it demeans the value of “A” level qualifications. Gordon Brown defended the in-company training courses, saying that they would be tough, involving intensive training and once candidates had the qualification they could go anywhere.