Signature education program and new industry-leading collaboration with AARP to connect candidates from multiple generations with more opportunities
HOUSTON, April 25, 2019 – McDonald’s and its independent franchisees across Texas are expecting to hire approximately 26,500 restaurant employees to better serve customers this busy summer season, including 3,000 in Houston.
McDonald’s provides a signature education and career advising program, 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 given out more than $2.5 million in tuition assistance and supported 1,400 restaurant workers in Texas.
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 once eligible.
Locally, McDonald’s has partnered with Mayor Sylvester Turner to create a series of summer job fairs, which are now a cornerstone of the city’s Hire Houston Youth program. Offering on-the-spot interviews, the hiring events also provide resources for clothing and transportation, and give students aged 16 to 24 the opportunity to learn about financial literacy, available scholarships and interviewing skills. The Mayor’s initiative will employ 10,000 youth this summer.
“At McDonald’s we’re committed to being America’s best first job and that starts with how we invest in our employees,” said Cari Sepulveda, local McDonald’s owner/operator. “In addition to developing skills like responsibility, customer service and teamwork, we provide our employees access to tuition assistance and English language classes through our Archways to Opportunity program. Here in Houston, we take it a step further by partnering with Mayor Sylvester Turner to hold hiring events as part of his Hire Houston Youth program.”
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 place where people at every stage of working life can see themselves.”
McDonald’s 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 offer 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 McDonalds.com/careers to learn more and apply.
ABOUT McDONALD’S USA
McDonald’s serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25
million customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are
independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. For more information,
visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow @McDonalds on social media.
ABOUT McDONALD’S GREATER HOUSTON OWNER/OPERATORS
The McDonald’s Greater Houston Owner/Operators Association (GHOA) is a co-operative of local business owners who own and operate more than 300 McDonald’s restaurants in Greater Houston. GHOA-owned McDonald’s restaurants employ more than 15,000 people in the Greater Houston community. Follow Houston McDonald’s on Facebook and Instagram @McDonaldsHouston.
ABOUT AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation’s largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP on social media.
ABOUT AARP FOUNDATION
AARP Foundation works to end senior poverty by helping vulnerable older adults build economic opportunity and social connectedness. As AARP’s charitable affiliate, we serve AARP members and nonmembers alike. Bolstered by vigorous legal advocacy, we spark bold, innovative solutions that foster resilience, strengthen communities and restore hope.
