Atlantic City: training planned for redundant casino staff

Atlantic City

Atlantic City is to offer job training to staff at three casinos that are closing in the coming weeks, reports The Washington Times.

The closures will put thousands of workers out of work.

To address this, the Mayor of Atlantic City, Don Guardian, said that there will be an effort to provide employment training and identify opportunities for unemployed workers. This, he said, will begin in October.

The funding for the scheme will come from a $400,000 grant from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.

Mr Guardian said: “Our hearts go out to our neighbors and friends.”

Trump Plaza will shut up shop on September 16, which, combined with the Showboat and the Revel already closing, this will put nearly 8,000 workers out of work.

Mr Guardian said that he expects 20-30 per cent of the laid-off workers to take jobs in the casino industry in other states. He added that 10 per cent of the workers are nearing retirement age and will probably take that option.

Job training and the possibility of finding work at one of the remaining eight casinos or one of the 1,300 new private-sector jobs expected to be created in Atlantic City, could help at least some of the rest of the laid-off workers, Mr Guardian added.

Atlantic Cape Community College will also offer training programs.

The Showboat and Revel Casinos closed on the weekend.

Tourism and economic development officials said that they believe that the remaining eight casinos in the City will be stronger financially.

“I can’t stress enough that Atlantic City is open for business,” Liza Cartmell, president of the Atlantic City Alliance, said. Her group promotes Atlantic City to potential visitors elsewhere in the country.

President of Resorts Casino Hotel, Mark Giannantonio, said that struggling casinos can turn around their fortunes, like his has done.

“Five years ago, it was at the top of the list to close,” he said.

But a new owner, real estate investor Morris Bailey, pumped $70 million into it and created the successful Margaritaville entertainment complex, the sort of non-gambling attraction upon which Atlantic City is betting its future.