8,000 Face Unemployment in AC

 

ATLANTIC CITY - Thousands of casino workers face possible unemployment in upcoming weeks.  With that in mind, the showboat and local colleges are making an effort to provide additional resources for those looking for future employment.

"The bottom line is folks want jobs," said Peter Karas, Campus President of Harris School of Business.

Bracing for impact...with a number of casinos set to potentially close their doors in the coming months, Atlantic City could see as many as 8,000 workers looking for employment.

"It might be a time to be nervous or scared of what's going on in our local economy, but again the good news is there are other avenues. Education can help and it's a great opportunity for someone who might be thinking about a new career," expressed Karas.

To address the potential slew of people facing unemployment in the near future, several companies, colleges and employers have stepped up.  The showboat casino is holding job fairs throughout the week.

"Just because our casinos are closing doesn't mean it's the end of the road, there are other opportunities out there," said Karas.

Meanwhile, Richard Stockton College is providing potential job seekers access to computers at the college's facilities in Atlantic City, Hammonton, Manahawkin and the college's main campus in Galloway Township.

"We might have smart phones and we might have tablets, but at times it's challenging if you are on a site to do can actual application…more importantly to be able to search various sites," explained Merydawilda Colon, Interim Executive Director for the Center of Community Engagement at Richard Stockton College.

School officials say community resources such as local libraries and one-stop career centers provided by the State Department of Labor and Workforce Development have limited numbers of computers, so the college is prepared to help.

Locations, dates and times are listed  at link
http://www.nbc40.net/story/26135152/bracing-for-impact-atlantic-city-could-see-as-many-of-8000-unemployed-casino-workers-in-the-near-future