McDonald's® Awards First High School Diploma Through Its Archways To Opportunity Program

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, McDonald's is honoring General Manager Juan Garcia of Chatsworth, California with a high school diploma, following his completion of the High School Completion curriculum under McDonald's Archways to Opportunity program. To date, Juan is the first McDonald's employee to complete the online set of courses and earn his diploma.

Archways to Opportunity is McDonald's overarching education strategy that promotes workforce education to both support the business and ensure its employees' success and achievement. The program offerings include free high school completion and college tuition assistance. Through Career Online High School (COHS), a national accredited program, eligible restaurant employees can take classes required to earn a high school diploma when and where it's convenient for them and McDonald's will cover the costs. For those seeking a college education, McDonald's will assist with college credits and tuition assistance. And for those who speak English as a second language, McDonald's offers free English language classes through its English Under the Arches® program.

The High School Completion program that Juan successfully completed is a nationally accredited Career Online High School program. This platform is adult and career focused and provides a coach to help its students along the way, setting them up for success. Understanding that high school curriculums can be challenging for many reasons, this program is competency-based so students are able to master a skill through a career-focused curriculum first, allowing them to build confidence before diving into a traditional curriculum.

"As part of our ongoing commitment to education, McDonald's invests in its employees and their future," said Clay Paschen III, President, McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California. "We are proud of Juan, and all other crew members working toward just that - a future."  

When an employee decides to pursue education, the company also offers resources and support that remove the barriers employees often face when returning to school including, tuition assistance programs, scholarships, education advising, virtual apps to calculate ACE college credit recommendations and a learning module that helps employees understand the various education opportunities. 

About McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California

The McDonald's Operators' Association of Southern California (MOASC) is comprised of more than 600 franchised and company-owned McDonald's restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Follow us on Twitter: @McDonalds_SoCal.

SOURCE McDonald’s Operators' Association of Southern California