McDonald's Archways to Opportunity Celebrates 10 Years of Employee Education

No, thank you. Can I just get a Diet Coke, please?" opens a Nemours interview that then cuts to Quontisha Chisholm, a veteran McDonald’s employee in Bridgeville, Delaware, who told host Carol Vassar the barrier in her career was simple: "No high school diploma." McDonald’s owner-operator Mike Meoli used Quontisha’s story to underline Archways to Opportunity’s promise: "the opportunity to get a high school diploma. Not a GED, an actual diploma," Meoli said on the program.

Archways to Opportunity, launched in April 2015, now appears in multiple corporate summaries and local testimonials as a decade-long effort to connect restaurant employees with education and career advising. The program page says "over 92,400 restaurant employees in the U.S. have enrolled in a program through Archways to Opportunity®," while McDonald’s 10-year anniversary report states "to date, more than 90,000 McDonald’s restaurant employees have participated in Archways to Opportunity." In a Nemours interview McDonald’s spokesperson Erin Voss celebrated the milestone and the money behind it: "Yeah, we’re very excited to be coming up on 10 years, 10-year anniversary. I’m happy to report that since inception, Archways has provided access to education for more than 82,500 restaurant employees, and over $185 million has been awarded in tuition assistance. Recent celebration that we’ve got to take part in with the career online high school, Quontisha being one of 2000 career online high school graduates so far through the program, so it’s pretty exciting."

Early growth in the program was rapid by internal measures. CAEL reported on May 1, 2017 that entering its second year Archways had "enrollment balloon to almost 17,000 employees" and that McDonald’s had recognized its 100th employee receiving a high school diploma through the program. Rob Lauber, McDonald’s Global Chief Learning Officer, told CAEL that given the company’s size "we have a responsibility to advance the next generation of workers," and that participation doubling in a year "illustrates that the program is making a difference for our people."

The program’s tuition mechanics and eligibility have been described publicly. The U.S. Chamber Foundation summarized Archways in October 2018, saying individuals who have worked in a restaurant at least 90 days at an average of 15 hours per week can earn up to $2,500 per year for crew and up to $3,000 per year for managers in tuition assistance, "with no lifetime cap." The Chamber piece also noted McDonald’s has established partnerships with colleges and offers free education and career advising to help employees "make an education and career plan."

Franchise structure and financing are explicitly part of the program’s design and limits. The corporate 10-year anniversary materials reiterate that "most McDonald’s restaurants are operated by independent franchisees who are independent employers that set their own employment" and the Nemours interview preserves Meoli’s account that "owner-operators across the country and McDonald's share in the cost" of Archways participation at local restaurants.

Outcomes McDonald’s highlights include career online high school cohorts and tuition totals: Erin Voss cited "2000 career online high school graduates so far" and the corporate report frames Archways as impacting "90,000+ lives, 90,000+ families, 90,000+ communities." The company’s anniversary statement closes on the program’s continued aim: "For the last ten years, Archways to Opportunity has been supporting people’s educational and career journeys. McDonald’s and participating franchisees are committed to helping people overcome obstacles and continuing to create economic opportunities. We look forward to seeing where those journeys lead next.