McDonald’s and its independent franchisees across Arkansas are expecting to hire approximately 3,570 restaurant employees to better serve customers this busy summer season.
That includes 290 jobs in the Little Rock area.
Through a summer job at McDonald’s, restaurant employees will not only learn transferable soft skills on the job, such as teamwork, customer service and responsibility. They will also get the chance to further their education.
McDonald’s provides a signature education and career advising program called Archways to Opportunity. Eligible after 90 days and 15 hours a week, restaurant employees have the chance to earn a high school diploma, receive $2,500 in upfront college tuition assistance, access to free education and career advising services, and the opportunity to learn English as a second language.
To date, McDonald’s has awarded more than $631,000 in tuition assistance and supported 280 restaurant workers in Arkansas.
“By offering restaurant employees the option to further their education paired with skills they learn on the job, we’re supporting their full potential to succeed whether that’s at McDonald’s or beyond,” said David Stokes, a central Arkansas McDonald’s franchise owner / operator.
In addition, McDonald’s is supporting a multi-generational hiring push this summer through a first-of-its-kind collaboration in the quick service industry (QSR) with AARP and AARP Foundation. From morning shifts to management roles, AARP and AARP Foundation will help connect McDonald’s to a growing, yet underutilized workforce.
The partnership with AARP and AARP Foundation includes current McDonald’s U.S. restaurant job postings being featured on AARP’s job board, which only includes employers who are committed to an age-diverse workforce and looking for experienced talent.
McDonald’s USA will also work with AARP Foundation on a pilot program that aligns employer and candidate job needs and interests leveraging AARP Foundation’s Senior Community Service Employment Program and BACK TO WORK 50+ workforce development programs. The pilot will start in five states: Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and North Carolina, before rolling out nationwide later this summer.
“For the first time ever, five generations are now working together under the Arches. Together with our franchisees we have a responsibility to each generation to provide opportunity, flexibility and resources for wherever they are on their career journey,” said Melissa Kersey, McDonald’s U.S. Chief People Officer. “Thanks, in part, to our new partnership with AARP and AARP Foundation, we’re looking to position McDonald’s as the place where people at every stage of working life can see themselves.”
McDonald’s also continues to invest in the communities in which it serves through two major scholarships:
- HACER® National Scholarship: Expanded the McDonald’s HACER® National Scholarship from five to 30 winners, providing more Hispanic students the opportunity to obtain a college degree. Scholarship applicants have the opportunity to directly receive up to $100,000 to help finance their tuition.
- Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund: Partnered with the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund to support students attending one of the 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) within the TMCF member-school network. The program offers six merit scholarships of $10,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year, which can be applied to verifiable costs associated with average tuition and usual fees.
Job seekers can visit McDonald's Careers to learn more and apply to a restaurant near them.