Fast-food giant McDonald's has unveiled 33 new apprentices across south London.

The employees, among 8,000 McDonald's apprentices nationwide, are the first to have gained places as part of the company’s investment in local people scheme.

Recently awarded a ‘good’ rating in its first Ofsted inspection, the McDonald’s Apprenticeship scheme provides in-demand job specific skills in customer service, teamwork and communications.

The Apprenticeship qualification, which is equivalent to five GCSEs, sits in the middle of the McDonald’s learning ladder which ranges from work experience for 16+ year old school goers to a Foundation Degree in Managing Business Operations for restaurant managers.

Siobhan Greaves, 17, a newly qualified apprentice from Wimbledon, said: "I never really enjoyed the academic subjects I studied at school so the vocational nature of the apprenticeship scheme really appealed to me.

"It seemed like a great way to gain another valuable qualification whilst still working full-time and the way the course was structured made learning fun.

"Completing the scheme has had a huge impact on my approach to work and my managers and team members have all noticed an improvement in my customer skills, enthusiasm and confidence.

"The apprenticeship scheme gave me an overview of the way the business runs and made me realise how important my role is in the grand scheme of things.

"It's renewed my passion for work and given me the drive to push myself even further."

Local franchisee Kalpesh Patel said: "The education landscape in the UK is currently evolving in the midst of the changing economic climate, and as a result, vocational qualifications are more relevant than ever before since they provide people with the opportunity to continue gaining qualifications at the same time as working in a relevant employment sector.

"I'm proud to be able to offer local people this type of opportunity in the form of our apprenticeship programme and believe it's important for more businesses to invest in such training opportunities."

Apprenticeships are part of a framework of qualifications that McDonald’s offers to its staff, which include nationally recognised qualifications in Maths and English, which almost 5,000 people have gained to date, to a diploma in shift management, which 2,300 employees have completed.

The full range of qualifications offered by McDonald’s is showcased in a newly launched prospectus which is available in careers centres across south London.

To find out more about the training opportunities McDonald’s offers visit mcdonalds.co.uk/people