McDonald’s Philippines, managed by Golden Arches Development Corporation and helmed by founder George T. Yang, recently celebrated the graduation of its inaugural batch of youth trainees from the YouthWorks PH program. This initiative, created in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), aims to enhance employability and life skills among underprivileged Filipino youth.

The graduation event, held at McDonald’s Sucat San Antonio in Parañaque City, marked a milestone in McDonald’s Philippines’ commitment to providing developmental opportunities to Filipino youth. A total of 53 trainees completed the month-long program, gaining hands-on experience in food and beverage services, as well as training in critical skills like leadership, communication, and problem-solving. The graduates have now begun paid training in 35 McDonald’s outlets across nine cities in Metro Manila.

“At McDonald’s, we believe that when people are given opportunities to grow, they will succeed. We are very thankful for programs like YouthWorks PH, and partners like USAID and PBEd, who are equally committed in training and upskilling the Filipino youth. Through this partnership, we look forward to welcoming more new trainees in our restaurants nationwide, helping them to develop to become productive members of society and to be their Best Me,” according to Kenneth S. Yang, President and CEO of McDonald’s Philippines.

McDonald’s Philippines, which operates more than 760 stores nationwide, employs over 60,000 people — more than half of whom are part-time working students. Managing Director Margot Torres emphasized McDonald’s dedication to empowering young people, “Since we started our operations more than 43 years ago, Dr. George T. Yang committed to providing employment opportunities to students. He saw that there was an opportunity to support these students by giving them the flexibility to earn while studying. At McDonald’s, we are committed to using our scale to provide equal opportunities for all whether through employment generation or through our training and development programs.”

The graduation ceremony drew an array of notable attendees, including United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, USAID Office of Education Director Michelle Chen, and representatives from PBEd, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Their presence underscored the program’s broad impact and the support it enjoys from various sectors.

Since launching in 2019, the YouthWorks PH partnership between USAID and PBEd has been instrumental in McDonald’s Philippines’ initiatives to enhance youth employability, along with the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) in partnership with DOLE. To date, the program has benefited over 16,000 young people nationwide, offering summer jobs that support their education and provide valuable work experience.

In addition to youth employment, McDonald’s Philippines is also recognized for its inclusive hiring practices, providing opportunities to qualified out-of-school youth, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. By championing an inclusive and flexible work environment, McDonald’s Philippines empowers employees to pursue their personal and professional growth, regardless of background, gender, or sexual orientation.

The YouthWorks PH program is poised to continue expanding, with McDonald’s Philippines committed to training up to 5,000 young people through this initiative by 2026.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert “Bob” Reyes is a technologist, an ICT Consultant and Tech Speaker, a certified Google IT Support Specialist, and an Open Source advocate representing the global non-profit Mozilla (makers of Firefox) in the Philippines. Bob is a Technology Columnist for the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation and an aviation subject matter expert contributor for Spot.PH.

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