The stigma of a 'McJob', could be a thing of the past, thanks to research by a Leeds Met academic.

Mark Rudd, a senior research fellow at the Faculty of Business & Law, argues that the company is playing a key role in aiding social mobility throughout the UK, as a result of its decision to actively recruit unemployed people.

The company is set to recruit up to 6,000 long-term unemployed people this year as part of a government jobs scheme.

The fast-food giant will extend a Local Employment Partnership (LEP) pilot scheme to all 1,200 restaurants.

Currently around 100 of its 72,000-strong workforce are participating in the scheme, with half of those given work trials over the past three months subsequently hired.

McDonald's was one of the first UK firms to offer nationally recognised qualifications such as GCSEs and A-levels through its in-house training programme.

Mark's report, commissioned by McDonald's, found that 40 per cent of McDonald's employees had improved their levels of qualification. Almost all (96 per cent) of staff said the skills they gained would be useful for prospective employers in the future.

Commenting on the report, Mark said: "Giving people the opportunity to learn practical business skills and gain transferable skills which can then be sold to other employers is possibly the most important factor in social mobility, especially when it is offered to those who might not have otherwise had the chance."