McDonald’s sheds light on Springfield-area employment

McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) is in hiring mode as it heads into the busy summer season.

The company and its franchisees are seeking some 200 new employees in Springfield this spring and summer, said Callie Picarella, communications manager for McDonald’s Missouri Co-Op, a group of owner-operators that work together on advertising. The local hiring plans are part of efforts to bring on roughly 8,330 new employees at restaurants across Missouri.

Within a 50-mile radius of Springfield, Picarella said McDonald’s has more than 3,000 employees. More than 1,000 of those employees are in the Springfield metro area, she added.

“By offering restaurant employees the option to further their education paired with skills they learn on the job, we’re supporting their full potential to succeed, whether that’s at McDonald’s or beyond,” said Andi Hilburn-Vaini, a franchise owner who’s president of McDonald’s Missouri Co-Op, in the release.

In Missouri, McDonald’s has issued $1.8 million in tuition assistance and helped 899 employees to date. Called Archways to Opportunity, the program is available to employees after 90 days of working at least 15 hours a week.

The release also points to plans to work with the AARP and AARP Foundation to recruit older employees.