Ontario’s colleges and McDonald’s Canada ink groundbreaking agreement on business training Posted on August 19, 2016 at 9:14 am. (Toronto, August 19, 2016) – For the first time in Ontario, McDonald’s employees can now receive credits towards a college business diploma, thanks to a new agreement between Colleges Ontario and McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited. The agreement will create a province-wide partnership with McDonald’s Canada, a leading Canadian business, to establish a prior-learning recognition system. McDonald’s employees, who have completed specific McDonald’s training, will be eligible to be granted the equivalent of first-year credit for a business or business administration program at one of twenty-four (24) public colleges in Ontario. This may lead to significant cost-savings for eligible employees by reducing the number of courses and time required to earn a diploma – with potential savings of up to $4,500. “We’re thrilled to offer such an amazing program with McDonald’s Canada,” said Linda Franklin, the president and CEO of Colleges Ontario. “This unique arrangement marks a new way of thinking about how employees can get access to further education and training without repeating learning they have already acquired. It’s the type of innovative partnership that colleges and businesses will be doing more of as Canada looks to strengthen its workforce and its economy.” “McDonald’s and its independent franchisees are committed to providing opportunities for people to learn life skills that will set them up for success – skills such as leadership, communications, hospitality and profit management,” said Sharon Ramalho, Chief People Officer of McDonald’s Canada. “We’re so pleased to work with the colleges on this new program that not only recognizes the quality of McDonald’s training, but also empowers employees to apply the skills they’ve learned to reach their career and academic goals.” Across Ontario, twenty-four (24) public colleges have agreed to grant recognition for first-year business credit into the business diploma or business administration advanced diploma (or the relevant related program at each local college) to McDonald’s managers who have successfully completed the management development program level 2, with some additional requirements. This means that employees will have the opportunity to directly enter a second-year business diploma or business administration advanced diploma program. The program is now available for McDonald’s employees across Ontario. McDonald’s Canada currently offers a similar program in B.C. with the British Columbia Institute of Technology and is also exploring programs with other post-secondary institutions across the country. About Colleges Ontario Colleges Ontario is the advocacy organization for the province’s twenty-four (24) public colleges. Colleges Ontario advances policies and awareness campaigns to ensure Ontario produces the highly skilled workforce that is essential to the province’s prosperity. For more information on Colleges Ontario, visit CollegesOntario.org About McDonald’s Canada In 1967, Canadians welcomed the first McDonald’s restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving close to three million guests every day. Nearly 90,000 people from coast-to-coast are employed by either McDonald’s Canada or independent franchisees, and approximately 85 per cent of McDonald’s 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by these independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion we spend on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from Canadian suppliers. For more information on McDonald’s Canada visit McDonalds.ca For more information about McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program please visit www.ArchwaysToOpportunity.com About Durham College At Durham College (DC), the student experience comes first. With campuses in Oshawa and Whitby and a learning site in Pickering, the college offers more than 12,000 full-time post-secondary and apprenticeship students access to more than 140 full-time and 16 apprenticeship programs in a number of different disciplines, enabling them to develop the skills required to meet the demands of today’s job market. The Oshawa campus features the state-of-the-art Student Services building and the college will soon break ground on the Centre for Collaborative Education, a legacy project tied to DC’s 50th anniversary in 2017. The new facility will bring together local, Indigenous and global communities, providing a new home for several of the college’s most innovative and ground-breaking programs. The Whitby campus features the Centre for Food, including Bistro ’67, a full-service, teaching-inspired restaurant, and Pantry, a retail store featuring food prepared by students in the college’s culinary programs. For more information, visit www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000. -30- For more information, please contact: Amy Dickson Manager, Media Relations and Communication Colleges Ontario T: 647.258.7686 dickson@collegesontario.org Michelle Yao Manager, Communications McDonald’s Canada T: 416.642.3634 Michelle.Yao@ca.mcd.com Bob Neufeld Communications and Marketing Durham College 905.721.2000 ext. 6219 robert.neufeld@durhamcollege.ca SHARE:
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