McDonald’s to hire 350 people in Onondaga County this summer, including 130 in Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — McDonald’s USA and its independent franchisees expect to hire about 130 people in the city of Syracuse, part of more than 350 hires in Onondaga County this summer.

The restaurant chain plans to hire more than 10,000 people throughout New York state.

Grant Kemmerer, Colleen McLaughlin, and Mike McLaughlin, area McDonald’s franchisees, announced the available positions during a Friday morning event at the McDonald’s location in the Shop City plaza at 1804 Teall Ave. in Syracuse.

The announcement also included details about McDonald’s employment program focused on education and older Americans.

Those eligible for employment include students and adults of any age.

“Minimum age is 16, so as long as you’re 16 years old, you’re more than welcome to apply,” Kemmerer said in response to a question from BJNN.

Education program

McDonald’s also used the announcement to discuss its education program called Archways to Opportunity.

Launched in 2015, the program is available to McDonald’s employees, Colleen McLaughlin, said in her remarks. She said she owns and operates 10 restaurants.

The program offers eligible U.S. employees an opportunity to earn a high-school diploma; receive upfront college-tuition assistance; access free education-advising services; and a chance to learn English as a second language.

“Over the past four years, more than 2,000 New York restaurant employees have been awarded nearly $4.5 million in tuition assistance,” said McLaughlin. “The impact of Archways is something that I have witnessed firsthand in our stores.”

Following recent changes to the Archways to Opportunity program, a student starting employment this summer and working 15 hours per week will now be eligible for $2,500 of tuition assistance per year after only 90 days of employment, the company said.

AARP job board program

Besides the Archways to Opportunity program, McDonald’s is also starting a pilot program that’s a collaboration with AARP and AARP Foundation. The program, which McDonald’s plans to launch later this summer or early in the fall, involves job postings on AARP’s job board.

“From working part time, full time, as crew or as management, AARP and the AARP Foundation have helped connect McDonald’s to an underutilized group of 55 and older population, which is the fastest segment of the growing workforce in the [U.S.] today,” Mike McLaughlin said in his remarks. He is the father of Colleen McLaughlin and said he was representing the “older than 50 crowd.”

The job board includes “only employers who are committed to an age-diverse workforce and looking for experience talent as well as new people wishing to get back into the opportunities of working,” he added.

This program will allow McDonald’s franchises to have a “multi-generational” workforce, “which we think is important to continuing reaching everyone to give them an opportunity to be able to come to work,” Mike McLaughlin said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com