McDonald's serves up 200 new jobs

Jan 23 2013

Restaurant chain McDonald's is creating about 200 new jobs in Scotland this year, the firm has announced.

The move is part of a UK-wide recruitment drive which will see 2,500 new positions filled in 2013. It follows 3,500 jobs created by McDonald's last year, of which 70% were taken by young people under the age of 21.

The company said its growth has been driven by investment in its restaurants, technology, extended opening hours and menu choice.

Thomas Kelly, vice president of franchising, said: "Whilst the job market in Scotland is hugely competitive, we are able to offer many people their first experience of work and, as a business, we're focused on doing what we can to help more young people get into quality jobs and careers.

"In 2012 we added some fantastic crew to our teams, many of whom were starting out in their first job and may otherwise not have had the opportunity to join the world of work. These remain challenging economic conditions but as a business 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 in Scotland."

Laura Reekie, 24, from Dundee, joined her local McDonald's in 2011, taking part in the company's apprenticeship scheme. She said: "As a result of the tough economic climate, when I started my job search there simply weren't many positions on the market.

"I spoke to friends who also worked at McDonald's and they told me how well looked after they were, and how much emphasis was put on training staff, so I was thrilled when I found out I'd successfully secured a job.

"After a few months of employment, my manager asked me if I would like to join the company's apprenticeship scheme. I immediately thought it would be a great way to learn more about the job I was doing, as well as the business as a whole, plus it has the added bonus of a recognised qualification."

The jobs announcement comes as official statistics showed a fall in unemployment in Scotland, with the jobless total down by 14,000.