With Launch of Pilot, Eligible Employees Can Earn Accredited High School Diploma and Workforce Training Certificate at No Cost
Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, an iconic and innovative drive-thru restaurant chain known for its “Crazy Good Food,” exceptional value, and people-first attitude, announced that they will offer employees the Career Online High School (COHS) program in a pilot launching this March in their Ohio Company-operated stores. Through the initial pilot, selected eligible employees who do not possess a high school diploma can earn the credential, along with a workforce training certificate.
“We understand that the key to our business is our people,” said Marna Killian, SVP People at Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. “We already invest heavily in programs that reward and retain employees, and in our Learning Management System to train our team members on restaurant operations. Now, with Career Online High School, we can further our educational benefits for employees in this pilot program, giving them the opportunity to earn their high school diplomas and advance their careers.”
It is estimated that roughly 25% of the frontline restaurant industry workforce dropped out of high school before earning their diploma.* For many employees, programs such as COHS mean the first step on the path to educational attainment and career advancement.
Checkers & Rally’s now joins corporations and organizations around the country, such as McDonald’s, Hilton, and Goodwill, who are seeking to improve employee outcomes as well as up-skill their workforce through the COHS program. For these organizations, benefits like COHS can help improve employee retention, reduce turnover, enhance the ability to promote from within, and increase return on educational investment. In fact, it is estimated that companies investing $1,595 annually per employee on training average 24% higher profit margins.**
Based on preliminary research conducted on restaurant and retail organizations offering COHS:
- 50%+ of employees were promoted as a result of earning their high school diploma
- 84% gained skills and knowledge that helped in their job
- Employee retention doubled
- Favorable opinion of employer increased nearly 70%
- 98% would recommend the program to others
“We are thrilled to bring on Checkers and Rally’s as a new partner to help reengage their employees back into the educational system and improve their career outlook,” said Dr. Howard Liebman, District Superintendent of COHS’s accredited online school district. “With COHS, we hope to help Checkers attract and retain talent, while building a skilled, engaged workforce.”
Employees interested in learning more, please visit: www.ed2go.com/checkers.
About Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc.
Based in Tampa, Fla., Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants, Inc., an iconic and innovative drive-thru restaurant chain known for its “Crazy Good Food,” exceptional value, and people-first attitude, operates and franchises both Checkers® and Rally’s® restaurants. With nearly 900 restaurants and room to grow, Checkers & Rally’s is a proven brand with flexible building formats that is aggressively expanding across the country. Checkers & Rally’s is dedicated to being a place where franchisees and employees who work hard can create opportunity for themselves, their families, and their communities. In recent years, the brand has been awarded several of the industry’s most prestigious awards including: Ranking #140 on Entrepreneur’s 2018 Franchise 500, Top Food and Beverage Franchise by Franchise Business Review, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Best Franchise Deals, “Best Drive-Thru in America” by QSR Magazine, the “Hot! Again” award from Nation’s Restaurant News, and “#1 Most Craveable Fries” by Restaurant Business.
About Career Online High School
Career Online High School was developed in 2012 through a partnership by ed2go, a division of Cengage that provides students with online continuing education and career training, and Smart Horizons Career Online Education in an effort to provide affordable, career-based online education opportunities for the millions of adults in the United States without high school diplomas. For more information, visit careeronlinehs.org.
Sources:
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Educational attainment for workers 25 years and older by detailed occupation.
**Society for Human Resource Management, HR Magazine, January 2001: Stepping Carefully.