McDonald's® Canada Seeks 1,500 New Employees on West Hiring Day

 Single-day, multi-province hiring fair offers 625 new jobs in Alberta on September 24^th

CALGARY, Sept. 24, 2015 /CNW/ - As part of its ongoing commitment to provide meaningful employment opportunities to Canadians of all ages, particularly youth, McDonald's Canada will host its fifth West Hiring Day on Thursday, September 24. With the youth unemployment rate in Alberta at 10.3 per cent*, significantly higher than the provincial average at 6.0 per cent*, McDonald's is pleased to offer 1,500 new part-time and full-time positions across four western provinces, including 625 positions right in Alberta. 

While McDonald's Canada hires year-round, this single-day hiring blitz will seek to fill crew and manager positions at participating restaurants in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It also comes just a few months after National Hiring Day in April, which saw McDonald's Canada hire 6,746 new employees across the country, with 1,879 in Western Canada.

West Hiring Day invites job-seekers to apply in-restaurant and learn more about local restaurant opportunities. Applicants visiting the restaurant that day will have the benefit of a possible on-the-spot interview by a member of the restaurant management team.

Believing in today's youth
McDonald's Canada hires employees of all ages, but of the company's more than 85,000 employees, over 70 per cent are young people between the ages of 15 and 24. McDonald's is committed to providing competitive wages, comprehensive benefits and flexible schedules that can help youth achieve a work-life balance while setting them up for success and skills for life in their future careers.

"McDonald's is a great place to start, discover and pursue a career," said Steve Rutherford, McDonald's Human Resources Business Partner. "We are a company that provides exceptional training to all of its new hires, and encourages upward mobility by giving our employees the tools they need for success."

The Difference McDonald's Makes
McDonald's Canada has been named one of Canada's 50 Best Employers by the annual AON Hewitt study for the last 13 years straight. The company provides its employees world-class training, hands-on business experience and development opportunities to help build career skills.

One of the ways the company encourages both personal and professional growth among employees is through its partnership with the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). The school recognizes McDonald's management training and provides advanced placement or course credit applied to a BCIT School of Business bachelor of business administration degree (BBA) or diploma. Since December 2013, more than 40 McDonald's employees have finished their placement assessments and are either enrolling, or eligible to enroll in the program. The program is available to employees in British Columbia, as well as out-of-province employees enrolled in BCIT's distance education program. Employees from the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, BC's Interior, Alberta and Ontario are already taking advantage.

"McDonald's has provided me with an opportunity that few other companies ever could," said Sarah Dodd, Burnaby, BC McDonald's Restaurant Manager and BCIT School of Business student. "The McDonald's management training I've received, that has already advanced my career, is now helping me earn a business administration degree from an incredibly reputable institution and fulfill a life goal. This experience has been invaluable." 

Candidates that are looking for local restaurant career opportunities, but unable to apply in-person can go to www.McDonalds.ca/Careers to apply online.

About McDonald's Canada
McDonald's is the leading foodservice company in the world. McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited and its Canadian franchisees own and operate more than 1,400 restaurants with more than 85,000 employees from coast-to-coast. Approximately 80 per cent of McDonald's Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. For more information about McDonald's Canada, visit www.mcdonalds.ca or follow us on Twitter (@McD_Canada), Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonaldscanada) and Instagram (Instagram.com/mcdonaldscanada) for updates on our business, promotions and menu items.

* Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada as of August 2015 (released September 4, 2015): The full report is available here.

SOURCE McDonald's Canada

Colleen Dunbar, Weber Shandwick, [email protected], 604-283-1361