Britain to Offer McQualifications

Gordon Brown parried criticism today for his government's decision to give students school credit for completing a McDonald's "basic shift manager" course, and other entry-level corporate training programs. "It's not that standards are going to fall. It's going to be a tough course," Brown said of the new vocational credential. "Once you've got that qualification you can go anywhere."

The PM added in an TV interview that bolstering apprenticeships is part of a national program to “win the skills race of the future,” the Guardian reports. The vocational qualifications will be at the ‘A-level,’ comparable to Harry Potter’s NEWT exams, or the American AP program, and will also be offered by Flybe and Network Rail. One educator admitted to being "unsure" whether universities will be “clamouring to accept people with McQualifications." (More Britain stories.)