McDonald's Expands Archways Program, Boosts Career Pathways for Employees
McDonald’s long running Archways program offers tuition assistance, English language classes, high school completion support and career coaching to restaurant employees, and has been expanded with a mobile app and advising partnerships. The program is a system level employee benefit that affects thousands of workers and franchisees, and it plays a growing role in recruitment, retention and internal mobility.
McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity and Archways to Careers programs provide a suite of education and career services for restaurant employees, from upfront college tuition assistance to help finishing a high school diploma or GED and English language learning. The company has expanded the initiative over time to include a mobile Archways to Careers app and career advising partnerships such as InsideTrack, so employees can assess skills and interests, explore career pathways inside McDonald’s and in other fields, and connect with success coaches and advisors.
The program offers career advising tools that help map skills to jobs and training, and it gives employees access to tuition assistance and support for credentials. Corporate materials describe the program as supporting employee development and include program metrics and partner organizations, noting a historical scale of tuition assistance and employee participation. Those materials also provide links to additional resources for employees who want to enroll or learn more about available services.
For workers, the Archways programs reduce financial barriers to education and create clearer routes to advancement. Upfront tuition help can make college courses or credential programs more attainable, while high school completion and English lessons can expand eligibility for higher paying roles. Career coaching and the app supply practical tools for plotting next steps, whether that means moving into management within restaurants or preparing for careers outside the company.
At the workplace level, Archways functions as a system level benefit that influences hiring and retention strategies and internal mobility planning. The program touches both corporate and franchise restaurants, making it a recurring factor in how managers allocate training and how employees weigh long term prospects at the company. As employers across the sector consider education benefits, McDonald’s program remains a prominent example of linking employee development to business and staffing goals.
