A job fair scheduled next week for some of the businesses coming to Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole may be a saving grace for more than 200 local job hunters.
The event will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Sept. 11 at The Sheraton Annapolis Hotel to allow applicants to meet with some of businesses that are preparing to open next month at the massive development on the edge of the city.
Some of the 12 companies participating will have more than 20 jobs to fill, said event coordinator Douglas Burkhardt of the Monticello Group. He said the jobs will range from entry-level to management, adding that he expects to attract "north of 1,000" people.
Target, Coldwater Creek, Smyth Jewelers, J. Jill, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Eastern Mountain Sports, SECU Credit Union, among other businesses that have not yet officially signed up, will have tables at the job fair, he said.
Mr. Burkhardt said the fair will focus just on the stores opening in October during the first phase of the retail development and other job fairs will follow as more stores open in the coming year.
Annapolis Towne Centre developers Greenberg Gibbons Commercial said once the project is complete, the shopping center will be home to about 3,000 new jobs.
"This is the great thing," Mr. Burkhardt said. "It's a real mix as far as the skill-level, and there will be both part-time and full-time positions available, so if there are people out there who are just looking for something to supplement their incomes, there's that available, too."
Alexis Henderson, spokesman for the Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corp., said County Executive John R. Leopold believes the retail development will provide Anne Arundel County residents with jobs not just now but for the next few years as more stores open.
Unemployment in Anne Arundel County crept from 4 percent in June to 4.2 percent by the end of July. And the number of county residents without jobs in June, which was 11,300, swelled to 12,100 people in July - an 800-person increase in those competing for work in an already tightening job market.
"We're concerned with making sure that anyone looking for a job in this county is aware of this job fair," Ms. Henderson said. "We're trying to market it and make sure that the Annapolis Towne Centre is successful in finding the right number of employees and to help them connect with jobs."
A retail development of this size could have a significant economic impact on the greater Annapolis area, Ms. Henderson said.
The Anne Arundel County Workforce Development Corp. staff has encouraged all of the individuals seeking their assistance to attend the event and bring resumes if they have them. Experts from the Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation will have a station available providing advice on how job seekers may improve their resumes.
