Youngsters who complete work experience at food chain McDonald's will soon be offered the chance to gain a qualification equivalent to a GCSE.

Bristol McDonald's franchisee Mike Guerin will be providing young people in the city with the opportunity to leave with a qualification if they complete a ten-day placement.

The qualification, a Level 2 BTEC in Work Skills, is worth one GCSE B-C grade and is accredited by exam board EdExcel.

The scheme covers teamwork, communication skills and gives individuals interview practice at the beginning and end of their placement.

The youngster involved will then have to complete the remaining part of the work experience module in their normal school environment.

Mr Guerin, who runs several of the 17 McDonald's franchises in the Bristol area, said: "We're raising the bar on work experience with this new alignment to a nationally recognised qualification at a time when young people particularly need it.

"When they come to my restaurants for work experience, whether it's just for two weeks or longer, we aim to help build their confidence and give them a valuable taste of working in a team in a fast-paced, business environment.

"They'll complete their placement with a great set of all-round skills for any workplace, and a national qualification to increase their employability. It's likely that many of them may choose to return for part-time or full-time employment after they've finished their education."

Peaches Golding, of Business in the Community in the South West, said: "We strongly welcome this innovative initiative from McDonald's to get more young people into the workplace.

"As a key champion of our Work Inspiration campaign, they have already contributed to our national business-led movement to ensure that young people's first contact with the world of work is inspiring, meaningful and relevant.

"We hope that other businesses, of all sizes, will follow McDonald's example by taking a leadership position on this important issue."

The Work Inspiration campaign encourages businesses to turn work experience into "work inspiration", to bridge the gap between the classroom and the world of work.

According to a survey commissioned by McDonald's, eight out of 10 young people in the South West believe a strong academic record is no longer enough to guarantee a good job, and the same number agree high-quality work experience gives young people the edge.

Those polled also expressed strong support for work experience qualifications, with 89 per cent agreeing that work experience is more valuable if it leads to a national qualification proving workplace skills.