McDonald's® Canada announces course credit partnership with BCIT School of Business

Program provides McDonald's employees significant cost-savings; accelerates diploma completion

VANCOUVER, March 7, 2014 /CNW/ - McDonald's Canada and British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) announced today the first-of-its-kind partnership in Canada, offering education incentives to McDonald's Managers and Team Leaders. The partnership provides advanced placement or course credit that can be applied to a BCIT School of Business Diploma or Degree based upon training module completion received at McDonald's. This training will be recognized by BCIT through the Advanced Placement and Prior Learning Program (APPL) and credit will be awarded for each level of McDonald's training completed.

"At McDonald's our people are our greatest asset," said Len Jillard, Chief People Officer, McDonald's Canada. "We are proud of the quality of training and skills development we offer our restaurant teams, and we provide flexible schedules so employees can accommodate both school and work. We are very pleased to partner with BCIT to offer further incentive to current and prospective employees interested in building their careers through post-secondary education."

A 2013 study conducted by the BCIT School of Business established comparisons between the learning outcomes taught at McDonald's Canada - recently recognized for the fourth year in a row as a top-ten company in the Aon Hewitt 2014 Top 50 Best Employers list - and the thirteen major topics taught in business programs Canada-wide at post-secondary institutions, including: Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Organizational Behaviour, Operations, Economics, Ethics, Statistics and Business Policy. The findings indicated that the learning outcomes taught in McDonald's Effective Management and Business Practices training modules are aligned with BCIT School of Business academic course criteria - creating a pathway for McDonald's employees to enter into BCIT Business programs.

"This is a unique partnership between business and academia, which recognizes that real-world experiences are equally valuable in helping students prepare for a successful career," said Kevin Wainwright, PhD, Program Head, BCIT School of Business. "We're excited to partner with McDonald's Canada, which places a strong emphasis on business training and leadership. This initiative will offer students the opportunity to accelerate their diploma or degree completion, while reducing costs."

In addition to granting course credit for job training, the program can result in significant cost-savings for McDonald's Canada employees by reducing the number of courses and time required to earn a diploma or degree. The full cost of earning a two-year diploma, followed by the BBA degree program, is approximately $27,200 combined. McDonald's students enrolled in a diploma and then degree program can earn up to 16 course credits, saving approximately $8,000. If, in addition to the advanced placement, an individual is awarded course exemptions through the Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) system, the individual could save as much at $14,400 relative to the cost of the regular pathway at BCIT.

The program is available now for McDonald's employees in British Columbia, as well as employees nationally enrolled in distance education at BCIT. McDonald's Canada is currently exploring similar programs with other post-secondary institutions across the country.

About McDonald's Canada
McDonald's is the leading foodservice company in the world. McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited and its Canadian franchisees own and operate more than 1,400 restaurants and employ more than 80,000 Canadians coast-to-coast.  Approximately 80 per cent of McDonald's Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. For more information about McDonald's Canada, visit www.mcdonalds.ca or follow us on Twitter (@McD_Canada and Facebook Facebook.com/McDonaldscanada) for updates on our business, promotions and menu items.

About BCIT Advanced Placement & Prior Learning (APPL)
The BCIT SITE Centre of Excellence undertakes prior learning-related research and assessment activities which result in advanced placement education options for British Columbians.  The Centre's mission is to facilitate the recognition and transferability of education across a wide range of disciplines, and produce multi-disciplinary trained/skilled graduates who are valued by industry. For more information, please visit appl.bcitsitecentre.ca.

SOURCE: McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd.

McDonald's Canada
John Gibson
Manager, Communications - Western Canada
T: 604-293-4849
[email protected]

British Columbia Institute of Technology
Dave Pinton
Media Relations Coordinator
T: 604-432-8306
[email protected]