Originally posted in The Rawlings-Blake Review, Issue #188

The Horseshoe Baltimore Casino will serve as an economic engine, driving new jobs, tax revenues, and increased development. From the beginning, Horseshoe has been committed to promoting local hiring and working with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development to provide Baltimore City residents with information and access to the 1,700 jobs that it will create. The strong public-private partnership between the City and Horseshoe has resulted in a comprehensive recruitment strategy that could not have come at a better time, as many families are struggling to find job opportunities.

Last week, we announced the details of this expansive hiring program, which begins next month. Horseshoe Baltimore, working with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) and the Baltimore City Council, will conduct city-wide outreach to educate residents about available positions, job qualifications, and the application process.

The Horseshoe team and MOED will hold a number of neighborhood-based recruitment events. The team will employ promotion methods ranging from neighborhood canvassing to social media campaigns—in partnership with a wide range of community groups, neighborhood associations, and civic organizations—to spread the word. A complete schedule of neighborhood recruitment events is available at www.horseshoebaltimore.com.

As an additional resource, job seekers can enroll in Horseshoe Baltimore’s Legendary Candidates Academy, a series of two-day, six-hour training sessions operated at locations throughout the city in conjunction with MOED and its workforce partners. The sessions will provide in-depth information about the requirements for various positions, outline the pre-employment process, underscore Horseshoe Baltimore’s emphasis on exceptional customer service, and prepare candidates for position-specific interviews. Job seekers who successfully complete the Academy will receive special hiring consideration.

Horseshoe will promote open positions through the Baltimore City and Maryland chambers of commerce, and through partnerships with local colleges and universities, philanthropies, religious organizations, the National Pan-Hellenic Council (Divine Nine), and the Enoch Pratt Free Library. In addition, Horseshoe will utilize paid advertising, social media, and community association meetings to spread the work about employment opportunities.

Finally, Horseshoe Baltimore will host a series of large-scale hiring events at the Baltimore Convention Center (March 7 – 9), Hyatt Regency Baltimore (May 3 – 5), and M&T Bank Stadium (May 19 – 21).

We are pulling out all the stops to make sure that Baltimore residents have every opportunity to learn about and apply for jobs at the Casino. Horseshoe Baltimore means more business for our local tourism and hospitality economy. It means even more investment for a gateway into Baltimore. It means revenue to reduce property taxes and invest in our children’s education. And it means jobs for our residents.