[Gerainia]

Gordon Brown has just given McDonald's, Flybe(a discount airline) and Network Rail power to give out degrees and diplomas like a university. This is the first new idea that has sparked me, and I don't think anyone else has done this, so I wrote an issue on it.

A skills agency in @@NAME@@ has brought up the idea of several large companies being able to award academic qualifications.

[option] ?This is a great idea!? says middle-level manager, @@RANDOMNAME@@. "We have so many skilled people about, but we can only mark it with training certificates and low-level awards. If we could award them diplomas, degrees and doctorates, it would really mark their skills and would show them for what they are. The educational spectrum shall become less divided!"
[effect] fast-food managers are being awarded degrees at world benchmark rate
[stats] major industry grows

[option] ?This won?t work!? says academic, @@RANDOMNAME@@. ?These people will be trapped in those companies; other employers may not recognise such qualifications. What?s more, this would cheapen qualifications, contributing to ?dumbing down?. Keep important study to independent bodies.?
[effect] universities have hit new power
[stats] economy strengthens

[option] ?Don?t give in to snobs!? yells communist Tony Baugh, as he jumps into your office with a gun. ?We must cut out all divides in our society! Abolish all universities and qualifications! Now the people shall be truly free from these delusional smarty-pants.?
[effect] all people have been stripped of merit in the name of ?equality?
[stats] economy weakens a lot

What do you think?

[Antrium]

Looks good to me. It's certainly a unique issue.

Although I find the whole concept very strange. I read a couple of news articles about it after I read your post because I could not comprehend the idea of getting a degree from McDonald's.

[Gerainia]

Well basically, companies often hold their own training courses, don't they? But they're only usually allowed to award their own qualifications. Now those three corporations have awarding body status. So a well skilled, experienced and trained fast-food manager can be awarded a diploma (level 2). And Network Rail can award PhD's to their master engineeers.

If it can be explained better:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_...icle3261485.ece

Edit: Wow! I knew about the degrees, but the GCSE's and A-Levels! That's shocking.

Tell me if you don't understand something.

[Antrium]

That makes more sense, thank you. I was thinking that every McDonald's employee could get a diploma from working there, and it seemed rather strange. But basically it's just a diploma for being trained to be a shift manager.

I think it's kind of unnecessary, I guess. (If I'm understanding it correctly.) They'd train you to be a shift manager anyway, what added benefit will you receive by having a piece of paper certifying that you were trained? An employer at, say, Burger King, would see on your r?sum? that you were a shift manager and assume that you could do a similar position there, so I guess I don't understand the intent behind it. I may be missing something huge, I don't know.

But either way, I think it's a great issue. I'd say go with it

[Gerainia]

I've just submitted it.

[Dasri]

On current rates, don't expect to hear back for at least 8 months, if ever. Very few new issues are being released nowadays, I'm not entirely sure if they're even editing them at the moment.