Award equivalent to B or C grade GCSE introduced by McDonald's in bid to boost job prospects of young people

The fast food chain McDonald's is to become the first UK employer to provide a GCSE-style qualification for work experience, in a move which it hopes will boost youngsters' employability in an increasingly competitive jobs market.

McDonald's has teamed up with the largest exam-awarding body Edexcel to produce the qualification – equivalent to one GCSE (B or C grade) after the successful completion of a ten-day placement with the restaurant chain.

The placement will cover teamwork and communication skills, with individual mock interview practice at the start and finish. Each pupil must also complete the remaining fifth of the work experience module in their normal school environment.

The qualification is also the equivalent of a level 2 BTEC national diploma in work skills.

McDonalds employs a predominantly young workforce – 85,000 people in the UK of whom 60% are between 16 and 21 years of age.

Today it also publishes the results of a poll of 2,000 14-19 year olds which reveals that work experience has become a CV must-have for UK teens but that the quality of placements varies. Nearly one-quarter of young people (22%) complained that their employer had not planned a useful or practical placement while more than half (51%) said there were not enough quality slots available. Those polled also expressed strong support for work experience qualifications: 86% agreed that work experience is more valuable if it leads to a national qualification proving workplace skills.

Announcing the qualification at a conference in Birmingham today, David Fairhurst, chief people officer, McDonald's UK & Northern Europe, will say: "This is the first time a work experience programme has been aligned to a nationally-recognised qualification, and at McDonald's we believe it has the potential to raise the expectations

of employers, educators and students alike. Whether people join McDonald's for two weeks work experience or a full-time job, the aim is helping them build their confidence, gain transferable qualifications and fulfil their potential."

Two years ago McDonald's became one of the first employers in the UK to be given new powers by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) to make its own awards. But critics have questioned the value of "McGCSEs", claiming that they could devalue academic qualifications and casting doubt on whether they would be recognised outside the companies concerned.

In a related move, supermarket giant Asda announced it is to offer 15,000 youngsters the chance of a week's worth of "real" work experience rather than simply making tea or running errands.

The 14 to 16-year-olds will get the chance to work in stock control, delivery and customer services. The company also unveiled plans for 15,000 of its workers to take part in a 12-week apprenticeship programme.