Biminites are being invited to apply for dozens of job openings now available at Resorts World Bimini (RWB), as the resort looks to build on its 463-strong employee base.
A career fair is being planned for the island on June 4 under the theme "Your career is about to take off at Resorts World Bimini".
The event will be held between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. or beyond, depending on the response, said the company.
The drive to hire more staff is in preparation for major expansion at the resort, which includes the openings of The Port at Resorts World Bimini this summer and a 325-room luxury boutique hotel in late fall. Applicants will be vying for positions in the hotel front office, housekeeping, slots, casino credit, food and beverage service, culinary, marketing, marina, transportation and security departments.
According to RWB President Dana Leibovitz, the career fair is expected to build on RWB's contribution to the island's economy, as well as national employment figures.
"Much more than a vacation destination, Resorts World Bimini is also an economic engine for The Bahamas and the islands of Bimini," said Leibovitz. "Our new hotel, paired with the construction of the cruise ship pier and airport expansion, will create hundreds of new jobs and enhance the island's standing as a destination among visitors from South Florida and around the world."
RWB's stated that its employment plans may be considered welcomed news, in light of the national unemployment figures, which now stand at 16.2 percent, a 2.2 percent increase over the previous year. Leibovitz said candidates who are successful in obtaining employment with the resort will have many opportunities for advancement.
"We are putting in place an impressive program that will include employees traveling to our properties worldwide for cross training," he said.
"We will also be working closely with the Ministry of Tourism and other agencies to implement training courses at the resort for our employees."
Prior to the opening of the casino, the resort had approximately 170 employees inclusive of 44 part-time associates. Today, there are 463 employees, 160 or 34.6 percent of them hailing from the island of Bimini. RWB's goal is to significantly increase those numbers through a successful career fair. Biminites are being encouraged to prepare themselves for the exercise as interviewers will be looking for service aptitude, work history and stability.
Resorts World Bimini is currently facing a legal challenge of aspects of its development work on Bimini and is seeking to have an injunction, which has stalled the dredging works it has undertaken, removed. The dredging is taking place off the coast of the island as part of RWB's North Bimini ferry terminal project. A group of concerned citizens, known as the Bimini Blue Coalition, challenged the dredging project on environmental and procedural grounds, which resulted in the Privy Council ordering a temporary injunction of the work.
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