(Updated 1/31/2014) As Horseshoe Casino Baltimore creates a new silhouette for the local skyline, city officials and their casino counterparts are launching an ambitious plan in February to search for as many local residents as possible to staff the 122,000-square-foot gambling complex.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and executives of Horseshoe Casino Baltimore Jan. 28 spelled out how the Horseshoe Legendary Candidate Academy, centerpiece of an expansive prep program, will inform city residents about a sparkling new workplace and ready them to be front-runners to fill 1,700 new jobs within the $442 million casino.
“The Horseshoe Casino will serve as an economic engine, driving new jobs, tax revenues, and increased development,” Rawlings-Blake said during a news conference.
“From the beginning, Horseshoe has been committed to promoting local hiring and working with MOED to provide Baltimore City residents with information and access” to the new positions that will be created when the casino opens this year, she said.
Special hiring consideration will go to graduates of the Horseshoe Baltimore’s Legendary Candidate Academy, a two-day prep course that will spell out the casino’s workplace requirements as well as “outline the pre-employment process, underscore Horseshoe Baltimore’s emphasis on exceptional customer service, and prepare candidates for position-specific interviews” a city news release said.
“We will leave no stone unturned in our search for exceptional team members,” said Chad Barnhill, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore senior vice president and general manager. To hold up their end of the agreement, the casino partnered with MOED and a wide range of community groups, neighborhood associations and civic organizations to recruit local job seekers.
“The strong public-private partnership between the City and Horseshoe has resulted in a comprehensive recruitment strategy that couldn’t have come at a better time, as many families are struggling to find job opportunities,” the mayor said.
The casino operators said they will use a mix of modern technology and old-fashioned grass roots tactics. “We intend to recruit a Horseshoe workforce that represents the very best that the City of Baltimore has to offer,” Barnhill said.
Candidates interested in working for Horseshoe Baltimore are encouraged to enroll in the six –hour casino’s academy sessions spread over two days. Academy sessions are scheduled for:
Feb. 3 and 4 at the Department of Labor Licensing– from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
Feb. 6 and 7 at the Northwest Career Center– from 9 a.m. to noon;
Feb. 11 and 12 at the Westside Youth Career Center– from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.;
Feb. 17 and 18 at the Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake– from 9 a.m. to noon; and
Feb. 20 and 21 at the Northwest Career Center– from 9 a.m. to noon.
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore will have 2,500 video lottery terminals, 100 table games and a 25-table World Series of Poker-branded card room.
For more information and to register visit http://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-mayors-office-of-employment-development-5793426078.
