MCDONALDS is celebrating 15 employees in Devon who have gained an Apprenticeship as part of the company’s investment in local people.

Through hard work and dedication, these Apprentices are amongst almost 16,600 other McDonald’s staff across the UK to complete the qualification since it was launched in 2009.

Awarded a ‘good’ rating in its first Ofsted inspection, the McDonald’s Apprenticeship provides in demand job specific skills in customer service, teamwork and communications.

The Apprenticeship qualification, which is equivalent to five GCSEs, sits in the middle of the McDonald’s learning ladder which ranges from work experience for 16+ year old school goers to a Foundation Degree in Managing Business Operations for restaurant managers.

Joel Barfoot from Tiverton explains first-hand the impact the Apprenticeship has had on his career since completing the programme: “I started working for McDonald’s as soon as I left school because I liked the idea of learning on the job whilst earning money at the same time.

"I completed the Apprenticeship last year and since then, my career has come on leaps and bounds.

“The support I received when doing the course was invaluable and the programme itself enabled me to learn more about every area of the business which I could put into practice in my day to day role.

"In just 18 months since completing the programme, I’ve gone on to complete the Management Programme and have worked my way up to Shift Manager at the restaurant.”

Nationally recognised and City and Guild’s accredited, the Apprenticeship provides employees with transferable skills they can use in their role at McDonald’s and in their future career.

Devon McDonald’s franchisee, David Hunt said: “I’m proud of Joel and all my employees that have taken part in the McDonald’s Apprenticeship programme. Vocational qualifications are more relevant than ever before as they provide people with the opportunity to continue gaining qualifications at the same time as working in a relevant employment sector.

“It’s great to see that so many of my staff are making the most of the opportunities we provide and looking at ways to strengthen their career paths.

"The qualifications they gain through our Apprenticeship programme are transferable and a real asset that I’m pleased to have been able to support.

"Five of the apprentices who passed last year are now Shift Managers and four are Crew Trainers which goes to show what can be achieved through hard work and dedication.”

Since the McDonald’s Apprenticeship’s introduction in 2009, David and his team have made a significant investment to support staff across North Devon to achieve qualifications and Joel’s achievement marks the impressive milestone of 20 candidates who have successfully completed the qualification in North Devon in the last two years.

To find out more about the training opportunities McDonald’s offers and to download a prospectus, visit mcdonalds.co.uk/people.