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01/28/2008: "What's Next - BAs From Hamburger University?"

I'll bet if you took a quick poll of folks under the age of 45, most of them at one time or another did a stint working fast food. And I'll further wager tha majority of them worked at the Golden Arches. Back in the day, all you got was your $2.30 an hour and all the stale burgers you could eat. Now, though, you can pick up a diploma along the way.

In England, there is a program designed to allow corporations to convert the skills training provided by employers into credit towards earning a high school diploma. McDonalds is one of three corporations to get the nod from the British government.

McDonald's has said it is introducing a "basic shift manager" course, designed to train staff in skills needed to run a McDonald's outlet, from marketing to customer service.

"It is right that we recognize and accredit employers that have shown a commitment to training and developing their staff," said the government's skills minister, John Denham.

"This is an important step towards ending the old divisions between company training schemes and national qualifications, something that will benefit employees, employers and the country as a whole."

Assuming the education has value, this is actually a good idea. The key will be whether the diploma, which will be similar to our GED, will be accepted by universities and colleges. But give credit to McD's for trying to improve the lives of their employees.