Spring Starts Employers Seeking Summer Help

RIO GRANDE — While the early bird may get the worm, the early applicant may be snagging a summer job by attending one of two March job fairs being offered in Cape May County.
“There are going to be a lot of jobs for high school and college students,” said Vicki Clark, Director of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce. “There are going to be many opportunities out there for people wanting seasonal positions.”
The county’s Advisory Commission on the Status of Women will be hosting its first Career and Training Expo at the Wildwoods Convention Center on March 24 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The theme of the expo is “Let’s Get Cape May County Working.” Attendees will be able to meet with almost 20 potential employers as well as participate in short seminars with three training facilities that will focus on job skills.
“There’s a variety of jobs,” said Kathy Bresnan, Chairperson of the Women’s Commission. Employers will be looking for seasonal and year-round positions.
“The first 400 attendees will receive a free canvas bag and book, “How to Plan and Conduct an Effective Work Search Campaign,” said Bresnan.
The Stone Harbor Chamber of Commerce is hosting a summer job fair Sat. March 31 from 11a.m. until 4 p.m. Over 25 potential employers will be present. Additional information is available at stoneharborbeach.com, or by calling 609-368-6101.
Morey’s Piers has 600 jobs to fill for the upcoming season. Many seasonal positions at Morey’s are filled with local students, said Denise Beckson, Director of Waterpark Operations/Human Resources in a press release.
“Our local student population plays a critical role in staffing our operation,” said Beckson. “However it is always challenging to fill over 600 jobs each season with the limited local labor pool, especially during the ‘shoulder seasons’ when school is typically in session and we are open for business.”
According to Clark, because of the recent changes in the J-1 foreign student visa program, local businesses will need to fill more seasonal positions with local employees.
Changes in the J-1 visa program may have an effect on seasonal employment for the upcoming summer.
According to Beth Gosselin, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of State, Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton issued a memo in October directing the department to take a “thorough and rigorous review of the J-1 visa program.”
“At this time we don’t have anything to announce,” Gosselin told the Herald, “but we should in a few weeks.”
While there are only two job fairs on the immediate horizon, Clark said she’s confident that it does not bode for a bad employment season.
“I don’t see it as a negative indicator that there are not a lot of job fairs out there in mid-March.”