Thousands turn out for taste of ‘Parc Life' at jobs open days

Thousands of job seekers attended the first of Center Parcs’ recruitment information days in Longford last Friday, officially opened by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, TD.

Senior management from Center Parcs welcomed a large number of potential employees to hear about the recruitment process for the 1,000 permanent roles being created in the midlands by the company.

The new €233m Center Parcs Longford Forest resort is due to open in summer 2019.

Prospective job candidates were invited to meet and engage with a 30-strong team of current Center Parcs employees from all parts of the business and its five resorts in the UK, including a significant number of senior management figures and the growing Irish management team.

Attendees learned, for example, what it will take to become a lifeguard at the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, which will be Ireland’s largest indoor swimming complex – heated to a balmy 29.5C all year round and complete with water rides for all ages, or what’s involved in being a forest ranger taking care of the beautiful 400-acre woodland in which the resort is situated.

Delivering an amazing guest experience at Center Parcs Longford Forest will require a large complement of staff with a huge breadth of general and specialist skills.

The jobs on offer represent all segments of the Center Parcs business, including food, beverage and retail; leisure; housekeeping; technical services and support roles.

The roles range from accountant to bus driver as well as chefs, receptionists, beauty therapists, lifeguards, baristas, bike mechanics, water sports assistants and climbing instructors, to name a few.

Minister Heather Humphreys said: “It is fantastic to see the midlands benefiting from the an unprecedented 1,000 jobs. I have been struck by both the enthusiasm of the candidates and the commitment that Center Parcs demonstrates to hiring good people and developing great lifelong careers for them.

“Today is a special day as we are witnessing not just the vast economic impact that Center Parcs will have, but the even greater social impact.

“The careers on offer here today provide a generation of people with the opportunity to work and live at home here in the midlands with their families.

"I wish continued success to Center Parcs as it gears up to opening next year and I wish the candidates well on their new career paths.”

Daragh Feighery, general manager of Center Parcs Longford Forest, said: “The turnout for the first of our recruitment open day has bowled us over and we are so grateful to the people of the midlands for their ongoing support as we start to focus on the main recruitment phase of our project.

“Interest in the careers at Center Parcs Longford Forest first started three years ago and these jobs are soon to become a reality.

“At Center Parcs we offer fantastic career opportunities. We hire people with the right attitude to deliver a top notch guest experience and we equip them with the skills they need to do this.

“With the calibre of people who attended today, I’m confident that I’ve met many of my future Longford Forest colleagues.

"All interested candidates should check in on centerparcscareers.ie to make sure they stay up to date on the opportunities on offer as they are advertised.”

When complete next year, the €233m Center Parcs resort will offer 466 lodges and 30 apartments to accommodate 2,500 guests.

During a Center Parcs short break, guests can enjoy more than 100 indoor and outdoor family activities, including the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, and a range of restaurants and shops.

The development has created more than 750 jobs during the construction phase and when operational, the village will employ up to 1,000 people in permanent jobs and provide a €32m boost to the economy.