+ We’re giving away five prizes of $250.00 worth of McDonald’s gift cards.

Okay, so we’re helping McDonald’s get the word out about National Hiring Day, a one-day hiring blitz, during which they aim to hire over 9,000 new employees.

McDonald’s also offers flexible shifts that work alongside student schedules, whether you’re still in high school or attending college or university.

So we figured there would be at least a few SLNers out there who could use a part-time job to help pay for school.

But we were talking with some peeps who represent the Canadian branch of The Golden Arches (no, we didn’t get to meet Grimace… I asked, like, a bunch) when they just casually dropped this knowledge bomb on us;

“Oh yeah, some McDonald’s employees shave up to two years—and up to two years’ tuition—off of their post-secondary education.”

Um… what?

Turns out it’s true and it’s thanks to an educational partnerships in British Columbia and Ontario.

The partnerships, with Vancouver’s BC Institute of Technology and Ontario’s Centennial College, turn the in-house McDonald’s business training courses into real credits, which goes to show you just how high the company values their employees’ development.

Ontario Colleges

For the first time in Ontario, McDonald’s employees can now receive credits towards a college business diploma, thanks to a new agreement between Colleges Ontario and McDonald’s Canada.

McDonald’s employees, who complete specific training, are eligible to be granted the equivalent of first-year credit for a business or business administration program at one of twenty-four (24) public colleges in Ontario. Which could lead to saving some serious cash. We’re told that potential savings could be of up to $4,500.

BC Institute of Technology School of Business

Based on the Advanced Placement and Prior Learning program at the Institute, this partnership awards credits for each level of McDonald’s training completed. Applicable towards a variety of programs at BCIT, including a Bachelor of Business Administration.