Two of Australia’s biggest corporate entities have staked out territory in the higher education sector, marking a pitch for legitimacy by the companies and a bid for relevance and revenue by their university partners.

McDonald’s Australia has launched a enabling up to 20,000 of its staff to obtain up to eight leadership and business microcredentials through in-house training and on-the-job learning.

Each qualification is accredited by Sydney-based assessment company Capablity.Co and offers pre-approved credit towards undergraduate business degrees at 10 partner universities. Stacked together, the eight microcredentials can save participants a year’s university study and thousands of dollars in fees, while earning them direct entry into MBAs.

The fast-food giant has similar arrangements in , and the .

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Meanwhile, Australian airline Qantas has launched an “” where its staff – and anybody else – can earn up to six microcredentials on safety and risk management. The qualifications, informed by the airline’s expertise and delivered by Griffith and RMIT universities, can earn participants credit towards graduate certificates at the two institutions.

Qantas plans to introduce another eight microcredentials during the year and eventually to offer postgraduate qualifications and advanced research programmes through a “centre of safety excellence”.

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The two schemes, billed as national firsts, have emerged amid a drive to cut costs, boost productivity and increase flexibility for students by formally recognising the knowledge they have amassed in the workforce. The initiatives could also yield new business opportunities for cash-strapped universities.

RMIT hopes its partnership with Qantas will fuel interest in its courses in aviation and “other safety critical industries”, while the McDonalds scheme could increase higher education aspiration within the company’s 100,000-plus workforce, including tens of thousands of current school and tertiary students.

Zaakirah Khan, a restaurant manager in the outer Sydney suburb of Mount Annan, said the microcredentials would give her a “head start” towards her dream of a university education. “I can also continue to fit my shifts at Macca’s around study, which is a bonus.”

Torrens University CEO Dan Cockerell said the recognition of “real-world experience” through microcredentials would be a “game changer” for education. “This is what inclusive, employability-focused learning looks like.”

Alana Piper, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), said the scheme broke new ground in “employer-led pathways” to higher education. “We’ve long recognised that university and career pathways aren’t always linear,” she said. “There is incredible value in recognising and integrating work-based training with academic study.”

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The scheme adds legitimacy to the in-house education provided by a company that claims to spend A$60 million (£30 million) a year on online courses, on-the-job learning and face-to-face training at centres across the country, including the Sydney campus of the parent organisation’s “”.

“The skills and training [our staff] build at Macca’s are real, valuable and recognised beyond our restaurants,” said McDonald’s Australia CEO Joe Chiczewski. “That’s not just exciting; it’s world class. To be able to work, earn a wage and have your training and experience count towards tertiary education is…a powerful career advantage.”

Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said her company’s expertise in risk management and safety culture had been refined over decades. “These principles are universal, whether you’re working in aviation, healthcare, mining or any other industry.

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“We’re committed to helping develop the next generation of safety leaders who understand that safety [is] about creating a culture where people are empowered to lead, innovate and look out for one another.”

RMIT said business partnerships were becoming “critical” to professional education. “With [these] microcredentials, students will work with the same advanced tools used by industry,” said deputy vice-chancellor Catherine Itsiopoulos.

Consultant and former regulator Claire Field said US and UK universities had long been assessing and recognising the training and work experience delivered within large corporations. Australian institutions had followed suit more recently, driven by a commitment to lifelong learning and a need to adapt their services after the government clamped down on their lucrative international enrolments.

Australian corporations have played a formal role in delivering vocational training for many years. Over 60 companies and community organisations – including Surf Life Saving Australia, aerospace company Lockheed Martin, casino operator Crown Melbourne and McDonalds itself – are “” whose in-house training arms are nationally registered providers.

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Field said that, until now, corporations had mostly avoided direct involvement in higher education delivery, although there had been some exceptions. Technology giant Telstra had to develop microcredentials in data analytics and machine learning, while professional services company Accenture had with the University of South Australia to offer courses in digital business.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com