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McDonald's U.S. Training Curriculum Awarded 46 College Credit Recommendations

PRNewswire-FirstCall
OAK BROOK, Ill.
Nov 22, 2005

McDonald's U.S. training curriculum for restaurant managers and mid-management employees has been awarded 46 college credit recommendations by the American Council on Education (ACE), the nation's oldest and most-recognized unifying body for higher education. The ACE recommendation for McDonald's is a 77 percent increase over previous college credit recommendations. McDonald's is the only restaurant organization awarded college credit recommendations from ACE.

McDonald's training for restaurant managers is equivalent to college course work and includes extensive classroom and field instruction, as well as competency evaluations. The training is transferable to traditional colleges and universities and can be applied toward a two-year or four-year degree.

"Opportunity is always on the menu at McDonald's," said Ralph Alvarez, president, McDonald's North America. "College credit recommendations from ACE for our training curriculum further validates our belief that a job at McDonald's is much more than a paycheck -- it's also an opportunity for our employees to learn management and business concepts that will benefit them for a lifetime," said Alvarez.

A recent ACE evaluation of McDonald's training curriculum at the company's corporate training facility, Hamburger University, determined that 100 percent of McDonald's training courses for restaurant managers and mid-management staff received college credit recommendations from ACE.

"McDonald's interactive curriculum is a great example of quality training that not only recognizes, but also meets the unique needs of adult learners," said Jo Ann Robinson, director of corporate programs for the American Council on Education.

"McDonald's commitment to providing education opportunities for their employees is most evident by the 2005 Adult Learner of the Year, Shelly Hicks," said Robinson. Hicks, a McDonald's operations training consultant and recent graduate of the University of Phoenix, earned her bachelor's degree in business management in May 2004. "Shelly Hicks was able to apply her McDonald's training to a four-year degree, graduate from a university and achieve this award," added Robinson.

"Providing opportunities for our employees to achieve their personal, professional and academic goals is integral to their success and ours," said Diana Thomas, vice president of U.S. Training, Learning & Development and Dean of McDonald's Hamburger University. "As a brand, we cannot be successful, unless our employees are successful. And education provides a solid foundation to achieve success," added Thomas.

About Hamburger University

Founded in 1961, McDonald's Hamburger University is a world-class corporate training center that provides career-long learning for leaders in the quick-service restaurant industry. More than 75,000 students have graduated from Hamburger University, with approximately 5,000 students attending every year. In addition to Oak Brook, Illinois, Hamburger University campuses are also located in Sydney, Munich, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Sao Paolo.

About McDonald's

McDonald's USA, LLC is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's 13,700 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. For more information on McDonald's visit http://www.mcdonalds.com/ .

About ACE

ACE helps colleges and universities anticipate and address the challenges of the 21st century and contribute to a stronger nation and a better world. Its members and associates are approximately 1,800 accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities and higher education-related associations, organizations, and corporations. For more information visit http://www.acenet.edu/ .

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SOURCE: McDonald's

CONTACT: Julie Pottebaum, +1-630-623-3707, or julie.pottebaum@mcd.com ,
or Danya Proud, +1-630-623-5063, or danya.proud@mcd.com , both of McDonald's

Web site: http://www.mcdonalds.com/
http://www.acenet.edu/