A BUSINESS manager who works at McDonald’s in Evesham has been celebrated at the company’s inaugural apprentice awards.
James Byford who completed a Level 6 degree apprenticeship in chartered management was honoured with the Aspire Award for his professional growth throughout his programme and his contributions to his own and others’ development.
The awards celebrate the achievements of stand-out apprentices, launching as McDonald’s marks 50 years in the UK and hits the key milestone of supporting more than 21,000 apprentices since 2006.
Despite leaving sixth form early and uncertain about his career path, James decided to take advantage of the opportunity to gain both a qualification and practical experience through an apprenticeship route.
His ambition to become a business manager drove him to excel, developing four new managers and eight new crew trainers.
James’ innovative contributions, which included producing a company welcome video, creating the ‘McEducate’ initiative to share knowledge across the organisation and raising funds for charity, further demonstrated his perseverance, ability to inspire others, and continuous drive for improvement.
He said: “Leaving sixth form early and deciding not to attend university was scary at first, but working at McDonald’s has opened up opportunities for me. I’m already applying the skills I’ve gained in my apprenticeship, and with the support of my family, friends, and teammates, I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
McDonald’s has been investing in apprenticeships for more than 18 years, with in excess of 20 different programmes available for employees across the country. The brand has incorporated apprenticeships into its sustainability commitments and currently supports over 1,000 of their people to complete their training.
Franchisee Sarah McLean, who owns and operates 21 McDonald’s restaurants across the Midlands including Evesham, said: “It is vital that all my employees feel able to pursue their ambitions, so we’re delighted to have been able to offer James the flexibility he needed to study and complete his apprenticeship.
“ I hope that the launch of the McDonald’s Apprenticeship Awards will inspire people to choose a scheme that will help them realise their full potential. The team and I are hugely proud of James, and I hope to see more of our people take advantage of the learning and development programmes McDonald’s has to offer.”
