PORTLAND — In the meeting space at the Sheraton Hotel near the Portland International Airport, a line of people snaked from the table of Ilani Casino Resort, down the nearby hallway and out into the lobby. It wasn’t even noon yet.
“This is the hour people should be working,” said Kevin McNamara, a Vancouver resident dropping off an application with the casino, as he looked over the throng of people. “And they’re here looking for a job.”
People hoping to find work at the $510 million casino project near La Center dominated the floor at the Portland Career Fair on Wednesday. Hundreds dropped off resumes and shook hands with tribal executives who announced this week plans to hire 1,000 people between now and the casino’s expected spring opening.
The casino is jointly being developed by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and Salishan-Mohegan LLC, a subsidiary of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians in Connecticut.
Prospective employees came from all around Clark County and the Portland metro area. There was a lot of paperwork to go around, with the casino hiring everything from dealers to wait staff to information technology support.
“It looked like a good opportunity to get a foot in the door,” said Myra King, a 35-year-old former nursing assistant. “I told them I was pretty much open to anything. Something with tips would be nice — a little take-home cash.”
Applicants’ reasons varied. Some said they wanted to work closer to home with shorter commutes, some were recently unemployed. McNamara, 48, said he and many of his co-workers at a major grocery outlet planned to apply.
“There’s always greener grass,” he said.
Jared Clark, a 31-year-old Gresham, Ore., resident, said he was recently laid off from the financial aid department at a local university.
Though he picked up a temporary job at an auto body shop, he thought he’d try his hand working in casino games or security.
“It’s something I’d love to do. … It’s a chance to stay well-rounded,” he said.
Very few positions were open that morning, casino officials said. The event was mostly a chance to start building a pool to draw from after hiring ramps up in January.
In fact, the casino has only 12 employees at the moment, according to president and general manager Kara Fox-LaRose. But the casino has received more than 1,000 applications online, she said.
Fox-LaRose said the casino will host its own job fair in January where they expect to hire 300 employees.
Tribal executives expect 40 to 50 percent of their workforce to be in the gaming industry, but it remains to be seen how the hiring spree will impact nearby cardrooms and entertainment businesses.
