SeaWorld Parks has been a strong supporter of SDWP’s CONNECT2Careers (C2C) program since it began in 2013. It’s strong industry relationships like this that allow the C2C team to connect young adults with meaningful summer work experiences year after year.
One of San Diego’s largest employers, 93,000 San Diego County residents have worked at SeaWorld over the last 50 years and the newest addition to the franchise, Aquatica, has employed over 1,300 people since it opened in 2013.
SeaWorld is committed to making life at its parks about more than a great career or summer job. It is about balancing priorities, planning for the future and learning about yourself and your unique work style. It’s this mentality that makes summer opportunities at SeaWorld and Aquatica so valuable to C2C participants.
This summer SeaWorld grew their commitment to C2C by coordinating a recruitment event for each of its parks in San Diego. Young adults filed in seeking to fill positions from merchandise photographer and sales clerk to lifeguard and park quality host/hostess. Recruiters at each event assisted C2C applicants by walking them through the online application, answering questions and scheduling interviews—cultivating invaluable skills such as networking, professionalism and communication.
Eleven C2C youth were interviewed following the Aquatica recruitment event. SeaWorld interviewed twenty-three. Eight of the participants were hired on for the summer—each of whom can look forward to much more than a summer paycheck. Four more are currently navigating the hiring process and look forward to hearing back from the parks.
Nicole, a C2C participant who was hired by SeaWorld, will be working as Park Operations Hostess at the park’s Bay of Play area this summer. “What I am looking forward to is the experience that SeaWorld provides,” she says. “They give young people a chance to find something that they love! Since I am a senior in high school, I would like to grow as an employee and help others as well.”
The C2C team works with both large and small businesses to create meaningful summer work experiences aimed at preparing young adults for 21st-century jobs. If you are a business looking to hire skilled, motivated youth this summer, visit c2csd.org/employers.