Originally published by Taco Bell

This year, Taco Bell extended Digital & Technology apprenticeships to some of its restaurant team members. Called the Yum! Reskilling Academy (YRA), this 12- to 15-month program provides high-quality, on-the-job experience, virtual skills training and a peer community to its participants with the end goal of hiring team members into corporate roles. YRA is a Yum! Unlocking Opportunity Initiative program launched in partnership with the job training organization Multiverse.

Read on to learn one of the stories of a Taco Bell participant: Truman W.

During high school, team member Truman was working at Taco Bell while simultaneously balancing his academics. Shortly after graduating, Yum!’s Reskilling Academy Apprenticeship selected him into its program - no college degree required.

“I walked into the restaurant during my shift one day and found this flyer talking about business- and tech-related jobs,” he said. “I was already planning to pursue something similar, so I decided to apply because the idea of having early access to learnings in a field I want to go into seemed cool. I then got an offer a couple of weeks after.”

Only a few months into the program, Truman is already addressing tech support tickets sent by Taco Bell and its sister brands (KFC, Pizza Hut and The Habit Burger Grill) and assisting restaurant teams with Tracks, a tool that helps modernize the restaurant management experience. He even has received that have changed his perspective on the workforce.

“I recently led a priority issue, which was my chance to own a project from start to finish,” he said, “It was interesting because I was used to seeing how a restaurant runs from the inside. So, seeing it from a different perspective while learning the various programs that go into running a successful Taco Bell restaurant was one of the coolest things ever.”

Along with building new technical skills, Truman has taken on a growth mindset and now sees any setbacks as ways to learn and develop.

“So far, I’ve been able to talk to so many positive people who are willing to help me grow!” Truman said. “I was so shy before, and now, I’ve developed the confidence to talk with leaders and people across the departments we work with.”

Truman is most excited about reaching his potential and inspiring others to do the same.

“I want to encourage others to apply to opportunities like this, because it’s rare to see companies take people from their stores and put them in corporate setting,” he said. “I had always dreamed about becoming a software engineer or going into web development, and now, I’m on that track. It’s really good way to advance your career, and I’m grateful for it.”

At Taco Bell, we lead with a people-first mindset because the investments we make in our people are the ones we hold close to our hearts. To check out more opportunities, click here.

Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, has over 54,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories, operating the Company’s brands – KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. The Company’s family of brands also includes The Habit Burger Grill, a fast-casual restaurant concept specializing in made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches and more. Yum! Brands was named to the 2021 Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and was ranked on Newsweek’s list of 2021 America’s Most Responsible Companies. In 2022, Yum! Brands was named to 3BL Media’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens.

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