North Island College and McDonalds Canada are celebrating a first-of-its kind agreement on Vancouver Island, creating new ways for McDonald’s restaurant managers to access a business degree.
Students can now receive up to 20 per cent of their NIC Bachelor of Business Degree credits when they complete their McDonald’s Management Training courses.
“It benefits so many students,” said Bill Parkinson, NIC’s former business department chair and current Associate Dean, Arts, Science and Technology. “Many students bring work experience into the classroom. Our comprehensive review of the McDonald’s management training modules found the courses met the learning outcomes for many NIC business courses and this partnership we’re creating greater access for students who may not have thought a degree was possible.”
With the agreement now in place, prospective students who have completed management training courses at McDonald’s and met NIC’s admission requirements will be offered a seat in NIC’s Bachelor of Business Administration, General Management Major.
If a McDonald’s employee completes all of their management training modules, they will earn 24 NIC credits, the equivalent of eight business courses. This means a savings of more than $2,300 in tuition.
“When I found out I could receive NIC credit for my management training at McDonald’s I was amazed and excited,” said Brandon Sawyer, who started NIC’s Bachelor of Business Administration last September. “I love the business programs at NIC and this will help me launch my career faster.”
Sawyer has worked at McDonald’s since he was in high school. The last five years have been in management – as a second assistant after graduation in Port Alberni and now as a part-time swing manager in the Comox Valley while he works toward his degree.
“This is me trying something new,” he said. “I really recommend other people look into it. It’s an incredible opportunity. Don’t miss it.”
The new pathway was officially unveiled in December, at a launch event at the McDonald’s restaurant at the Crown Isle McDonald’s in Courtenay, BC.
“We’re extremely excited to see this partnership come into fruition,” said Stuart Aldred, local McDonald’s owner/operator. “As we look to expand our teams here on Vancouver Island, I’m very happy to see we can simultaneously offer exciting new opportunities for growth and education through amazing institutions like NIC.”
The new pathway partnership is also in line with McDonald’s Canada’s organizational culture and values, which focuses on supporting educational opportunities for its staff.
“McDonald’s is a great place to work and kick-start your career. This partnership with North Island College is part of a continued effort to prioritize the growth and education of our employees and encourage those interested to pursue higher education opportunities,” said Amélie Duclos, CRIA, National Learning & Development Director, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited. “This is about expanding the educational opportunities available and providing help to get a head start toward an invaluable degree.”
McDonald’s employs nearly 90,000 people from coast to coast in Canada and approximately 85 per cent of McDonald’s 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. Of the almost $1 billion McDonald’s spends on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada, according to the company.
For more information on NIC’s business programs, visit nic.bc.ca/business or call 1-800-715-0914.