First came the McJob, now welcome to the McA-level. Having complained for years that school leavers and graduates lack even basic workplace skills, employers will soon be awarding their own national qualifications equivalent to GCSEs, A-levels and university degrees. Critics warn that McDonald’s “diplomas” will devalue academic attainment and create a workforce able to serve up fries and a milk shake but not much else. They should think again. The answer to the UK’s lamentable skills deficit lies in recognising the value of going to Big Mac school.
It would be wrong to argue that a McDonald’s certificate in restaurant shift management or a degree level engineering diploma from Network Rail confer the same academic prowess as traditional A-levels or degrees from leading universities. Moreover, employers, students and university admissions tutors can tell the difference. That is the point of vocational qualifications. They offer job training to people not going on to higher education.
Whether employers should award nationally accredited certificates is a separate question. At one level, giving companies such as McDonald’s awarding body status addresses problems identified in the 2006 Leitch report. The study set ambitious targets to raise basic skills. Statistics do not capture the £38bn a year employers spend on training. Formalising that contribution with accredited programmes, as Australia already does, could help meet those goals.
Furthermore, narrowing the skills gap should not be left to the government alone. If the private sector can offer comparable qualifications without needing extra public money – and relatively little has been made available – there should be no bar in principle. Standards will have to be enforced, but that is the role of the examinations watchdog. The risk may be that companies find the regulatory checks too burdensome and give up.
As for transferability, it is doubtful that students would harm their career prospects by taking a McDonald’s course in basic management. Like or loathe its burgers, the company has a reputation for turning out well-trained employees. Not many graduates could claim to be able to run a franchise employing 50 people with a £2m turnover. The course would not equip them to open a top London restaurant, but neither would a traditional A-level.
To the extent that accreditation recognises the value of what business can offer, it should be welcomed. In America, Microsoft’s qualifications have long been highly sought after. British companies should try to replicate that success.
