McDONALD’S ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH MUSKEGON COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO AID STUDENTS IN PAYING FOR COLLEGE
MUSKEGON, Mich. (Oct. 20, 2020) – McDonald’s restaurants and Muskegon Community College announced a partnership Tuesday aimed at making college more affordable and accessible for thousands of students.
Through McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity education program, restaurant employees who work a minimum of 15 hours a week for 90 days will be eligible to receive $3,000 in upfront college tuition assistance each year, as well as access to free education and career advising services.
Additionally, a job with McDonald’s offers restaurant employees a chance to learn transferable soft skills on the job, such as teamwork, customer service and responsibility.
Muskegon Community College, with locations in Muskegon, Ottawa and Newaygo counties, offers 40 associate degree and 35 certificate programs that open doors to high-wage and high-demand careers. For students working while they attend school, MCC provides them the flexibility of online, hybrid and in-person classes to complete coursework on their own schedule.
“MCC is thrilled to partner with McDonald’s to help provide educational opportunities to the many talented employees pursuing upward mobility in their careers,” said Dr. Dale K. Nesbary, president of Muskegon Community College. “We welcome and embrace initiatives that allow students who need to work, the ability to do so while achieving their academic goals at the same time.”
This year marks the fifth anniversary of McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program. To date, McDonald’s has allocated more than $100 million in tuition assistance and supported more than 55,000 restaurant workers and corporate employees. In Michigan, McDonald’s has awarded more than $715,000 in tuition assistance and supported 370 restaurant employees.
“At McDonald’s, we know our people are the key to our success,” said Lori Schulz, a Muskegon-area McDonald’s owner/operator. “We are so proud to be able to offer the kind of assistance Archways to Opportunity provides for our employees and to partner with Muskegon Community College to help expand access to the great programs they offer students.”
Archways to Opportunity has proven to promote opportunity and mobility for McDonald’s diverse employee community. More than 50 percent of the participants are individuals who identify as people of color and almost two-thirds of participants are women
Anyone interested in applying for a job with McDonald’s can visit McDonalds.com/careers to learn more and apply to a restaurant near them. For more information about McDonald’s partnership with Muskegon Community College go to www.muskegoncc.edu/mcdonalds.