Workforce Training

As the respective employers of 850,000 restaurant employees in thousands of communities across the U.S., McDonald’s and its franchisees know that a significant number of restaurant employees are among those 38 million without high school diplomas. Through our comprehensive education program, Archways to Opportunity, we are preparing the employees of today for the business of tomorrow.

The co-owner of the Wyoming Machine sheet metal company in Stacy, Minnesota that makes armored Humvees, steel spokes and other manufactured parts, Tapani posted an ad to fill a production job at their plant. Two months later she didn’t get a single applicant. Hiring skilled welders and laser operators was already tough. And in the manufacturing space winning the heated competition for good workers could mean the difference between profitability and closing the door. The American Welding Society anticipates a shortage of about 400,000 operators by 2024. But Tapani and Wyoming didn’t take the bad news laying down.

Throughout the day’s conversations, several major issues were acknowledged and summit participants and attendees discussed their current and future plans to work together to tackle these challenges. Where the morning portion of the summit centered on the challenges experienced and identified by government and military officials, the afternoon session addressed how all sectors share similar challenges in the talent marketplace and how many corporate solutions could be applied to inspire real change for the military and our veterans.