Member Article

McDonald?s announce 2,500 new jobs

Fast food giant, McDonald’s will create 2,500 jobs in the UK over the course of the next year.

The restaurant announced on Wednesday that, after creating 3,500 positions in 2012, it hopes to bring its total number of employees up to 93,500 in Britain.

Business Secretary Vince Cable graced a McDonald’s restaurant on Wednesday afternoon, and welcomed the announcement.

He said: “A highly-skilled workforce is an important part of any growing business. That’s why I am pleased to see how McDonald’s is providing training and apprenticeships in a range of skills.

“McDonald’s is also to be applauded for helping adult employees get qualifications in maths and English. Poor literacy and numeracy skills can hold people back in the workplace, which is why the Government has doubled the funding for these core subjects.”

The vast majority of McDonald’s new employees last year were under the age of 21, and made up 70% of the restaurant’s new workforce.

After launching apprenticeships and nationally-recognised qualification schemes including foundation degrees in 2008, the fast food chain’s staff can also boost their employability whilst they work.

McDonald’s has added 20,000 people to its workforce in the past five years, which it said was driven by investment in its restaurants and technology, as well as extending opening hours and a offering more choice on its menu.

Jill McDonald, chief executive of McDonald’s UK said: “These remain challenging economic conditions but I’m pleased that, together with our franchisees, our continued focus on serving quality, affordable food and giving our customers a great experience is enabling us to keep investing in our business and creating jobs.

“Whilst today’s job market is hugely competitive, we offer many people their first experience of work and we’re focused on doing what we can to help more young people get into quality jobs and careers.

“To help young people get on in life, it’s crucial for major employers like us to keep investing in training and people development, because companies like ours can make a big difference through the jobs we create and the support we provide.”

CBI’s deputy director general, Neil Bentley, commented: “It is great news that McDonald’s is creating jobs during such challenging times on the high street. It is leading the way in showing how major businesses are investing in staff through excellent training and career development.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .