More than 300 jobs are available at Denver International Airport at the beginning of what is expected to be airport's busiest summer ever, and filling them may not be easy.
Getting to the airport and parking on a daily basis can be expensive, and entry-level jobs may not pay much. Job candidates must also pass rigorous security tests and assessments before they can be hired.
"We are concerned about whether we'll have enough (employees) or not," said Patrick Ahlstrom, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's federal security director in Denver.
To help employers fill the slots, Denver maintains a job center on site that will hold a job fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at DIA's press room on the sixth level of the main terminal.
DIA, which is sometimes called a miniature city, is home to about 30,000 employees. It is one of the world's largest airports, with a 53-square-mile site that is twice the size of Manhattan.
About 900 work there to keep DIA operating, but thousands of others work for airlines, concessionaires, cargo carriers, car-rental companies and service companies.
"Even if you start as an entry-level worker, you can have a lifetime career out here," said Priscilla Bohl. She is a manager at the city's business assistance center, which opened in a new location at DIA in January.
Employers face a variety of challenges when recruiting workers. Security tests and background checks are required. DIA is 23 miles from downtown Denver. Parking at a regular airport shuttle lot costs $5 a day, and bus fares can cost $6 each way.
In exchange, employers can offer job candidates pay that ranges from $8 to $20 an hour, or higher for some management positions. Some also offer incentives such as parking, RTD passes, bonuses, flight benefits and concessions discounts.
While commuting to the airport can be a time- consuming proposition, many DIA employees live close to DIA , said DIA Partnership vice president Susan Stanton. Some moved into the area, then got jobs at the airport; others have moved into the region because they work at DIA.
At the job fair, city employees from the Denver Workforce Center at DIA will help applicants with resume preparation and interviewing skills. In conjunction with the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, the workforce center also offers classes to applicants with limited English skills.
Such employees at an international airport like DIA make up "kind of a harmonic convergence of cultures," said Spring Institute employment training manager Chris Tombari.
"For immigrants looking to build a life in Denver, the jobs at the airport seem to offer a lot of what they need."
Copyright: The Denver Post -- 6/5/06
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