News

McDonald's, Indiana's Ivy Tech partner on employee college credit initiative

January 10, 2020

McDonald's restaurants has partnered with Indiana Ivy Tech Community College to make post-secondary education more affordable and offer training for the future workforce, a news release said. The partnership involves more than 300 McDonald's locations and 18 Ivy Tech campuses with 40 sites.

Through McDonald's Archways to Opportunity education program, restaurant employees who work a minimum of 90 days at 15 hours per week are eligible for tuition assistance of up to $2,500 per year as crew members and up to $3,000 per year as managers. Ivy Tech will offer crosswalk credits, often defined as those that allow high school students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously, to McDonald's restaurant employees for some on-the-job training and classes, plus individualized counseling — allowing them to earn a degree faster.

"This is the exact kind of forward-thinking partnership that enables Indiana to develop our skilled and ready workforce," Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb said in the release. "The combined strength of these two great entities will allow thousands of students to pursue their dreams and simultaneously help keep Indiana's economy moving full steam ahead."

McDonald's restaurants in Indiana have enrolled a number of employees in the Archways to Opportunity tuition assistance program since its inception five years ago. Throughout 2019, McDonald's invested more than $1.2 million in tuition assistance to restaurant employees across Indiana. 

"There is no limit. We want to encourage as many of our employees and students across Indiana as we can to take advantage of this tuition assistance program," McDonald's owner/operator and Greater Indiana Operator Co-op President Robert Terhune said in the release. "We believe this strengthens all of our communities throughout Indiana."

Ivy Tech's degree crosswalk will allow McDonald's employees to work with an Ivy Tech counselor to determine which of their McDonald's training and work experiences may be used as credit that they can apply toward a desired certificate or degree. 

"Each Ivy Tech campus will dedicate an advisor to McDonald's employee enrollment, questions and scheduling needs," Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann said in the release.