McDonald's China will invest 100 million yuan (US$14.73 million) in a talent training program with more than a hundred vocational schools to support youth employment.

The company on Tuesday announced the “Youth Unlimited” talent training program at its annual McBanquet event, representing an investment of over 100 million yuan from 2020 to 2022.

In this program, the company will join hands with more than 100 vocational schools across China to carry out targeted training under the “Modern Apprentice” school-operating model, supported and promoted nationwide by China’s Ministry of Education.

To date, it has reached agreements for such cooperation with more than 40 vocational schools in the country.

This joint program will help over 10,000 young people enhance their abilities to secure employment and smooth out their career development paths after graduation.

"Given the challenging employment situation in 2020, we hope to nurture more young talent not just for itself, but for the industry and the entire nation through leveraging its strong people development programs and its increasing investment in this area," said Phyllis Cheung, CEO of McDonald's China.

Under the model, apprentices will not only learn in classes but gain work experience at McDonald’s before starting their full-time jobs, which allows them to better apply what they learn to what they do and smoothly embark on their career journeys after graduation, according to Cheung.