2. McDonald’s Hamburger University

Employee retention isn’t exactly the specialty of the house at McDonald’s, but that’s where Hamburger University comes into play. McDonald’s was the first restaurant chain to create a global training center for its employees. By developing talent and leadership at Hamburger University since 1961, McDonald’s retains more of its most promising rising stars. Hamburger University offers more than training excellence. It equips McDonald’s staff with the tools they need to optimize resources while executing tasks. The staff learns restaurant operation procedures that deliver quality, service, cleanliness, and value.

McDonald’s corporate university professors are experts in restaurant operations and teach:

In the classroom
With hands-on activities in the lab or restaurant settings
Through goal-based scenarios
With e-learning modules

Employees receive training according to their desired career development paths. This allows crew members to progress to restaurant managers, mid-managers, and executives.

For instance, at the mid-level, McDonald’s Hamburger University’s students learn to successfully run a restaurant. And to become executives, they continue developing business skills and focus on top leadership skills. In the end, they’re ready to support McDonald’s employees, restaurant owners, and sales growth.

3. Apple University

Apple sets itself apart by doing things differently, and it expects the same from its employees. The company doesn’t just teach them how to do things differently, but also how to think differently. And those teachings are a fundamental part of Apple’s culture. In return, employees feel better prepared to take on leadership roles, speak up, and take risks—all for the sake of keeping the edge over the competition.

Apple’s first marketing brochure announced that “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Apple University’s teachers instill the simplicity motto into the company’s workforce. The curriculum revolves around Apple’s culture, history, structure, and dynamics. Managers also study other companies to learn how they succeeded or failed. Classes are all in person and take place at the company’s campus. However, not everyone can enroll in the university’s courses. The elite business school is for directors, VPs, and other top managers and executives—by invitation only.

Steve Jobs created Apple’s corporate university in 2008 because he was sick for a long time. Jobs wanted to prepare the company for his succession. Successful corporate universities create a more prepared workforce for today while laying a solid foundation for the future of the organization.

4. Disney University

Disney’s corporate university is the learning and development setting that teachers and students dream of. It’s literally the Disneyland of education.

Everything is highly personalized to the Disney brand. From training materials to program names, Disney University reminds everyone about Disney’s incredible success over the years. The company’s university introduces the brand when onboarding employees on their very first workday. Culture, history, values, policies, and traditions—it’s all part of what Disney University students learn. Beyond an immersion in the world of Disney, the university also caters to employees’ personal professional development goals.

Disney University offers instructor-led classroom sessions as well as elearning and virtual classrooms.