Sixty-one year old man secures job at McDonalds

Darryl Grehan is proof that age should be no barrier to employment.

The sixty-one year old is celebrating his recent employment as a maintenance man at McDonalds after his 20 year stint with corrective services came to a halt.

“I was working at the Grafton goal, but unfortunately they had to downsize which left me unemployed,” Mr Grehan said.

Darryl and his wife took up volunteering as they felt that was all they could do at their age.

“It was very difficult for me to find work for about two years. I applied for many jobs, mostly online, and only had a couple of interviews. Everybody was looking for somebody younger,” Mr Grehan said.

“I was starting to think that there wasn’t a place for older people in the workforce. I had quite a number of rejections.”

Wanting some further assistance with his job searching Darryl approached his local ETC office.

“Dave at ETC was confident they would find something for me. He was very professional and he’s an optimistic person, which really helped me,” Mr Grehan said.

“Dave put me forward for a position with McDonalds and after attending my interview I found out I was successful.”

Darryl now works as a maintenance man looking after the cleaning, landscaping and light repair works at McDonalds in the south of Coffs Harbour.

“I like everything about my job, especially working with the younger people here. They relate well to me which was a surprise.

“We crack some jokes together and have a little bit of fun. And that’s a good thing for an old fella.”

Darryl believes that all employers should give mature aged workers a go.

“There is a lot of experienced people out there that can bring their skills and knowledge to a workplace,” Mr Grehan said.

Mr Grehan’s employer Mitch Ballantyne said he was very capable and reliable.

“I have been very impressed with Darryl since he commenced his employment. He picked up all of the required tasks and has gone above and beyond on a daily basis to get the job done,” Mr Ballantyne said.

“My staff and I love having him as part of the team and we are very impressed with his work ethic and attention to detail.”

If you would like to learn more about employing a mature aged worker contact ETC on 1800 007 400.