Yum Brands-owned Pizza Hut is helping create a degree-level program at Manchester Metropolitan University in England with 1,500 apprenticeships for learning everything from food preparation to financial analysis.
The program will operate for five years as the apprentices from various education levels take courses at the university and train at Pizza Hut as well, said
the Manchester Evening News.
"Apprenticeships add value to our businesses and workforce right across the economy," said Nick Boles, Minister of State for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education.
"These apprenticeships at Pizza Hut Restaurants will offer even more people the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge while working. I would encourage more businesses to take the lead from companies like Pizza Hut Restaurants to start or expand their apprenticeship programs."
Kathryn Austin, Pizza Hut's director of people and marketing, said the skills students will learn with the apprenticeships are transferable to most life skills, noted
Yahoo Finance.
"The launch of our apprenticeships comes at an exciting time for our business as we continue to make headway in our refurbishment program," said Austin. "Over the next few years we will work hard to provide our apprentices and team members with the best training and development so that we can equip them with skills for life, not just for working in a restaurant."
The Telegraph said Kentucky Fried Chicken, another Yum Brands company, and McDonald's have offered similar apprenticeships.
KFC started offering "degrees" in conjunction with De Montfort University in Leicester, England in 2012, where 20 restaurant managers a year entered the program.
"For those who have decided for whatever reason not to go to university, the degrees are just a fabulous thing that we are doing that allows them to grow, develop and fulfill some of their career ambitions," said Martin Shuker, the United Kingdom managing director of KFC. "It's a very affordable way of allowing them to get those skills, development and training."