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Ski Resorts in CNY Preparing to Hire Seasonal Staff Ski Resorts in CNY Preparing to Hire Seasonal Staff

By Lauren Helmbrecht

Sheila Larkin: We need people everywhere.

Lauren Helmbrecht: Sheila Larkin is the operations manager for Ski C-N-Y and oversees Labrador and Song ski mountains.
And with snow already on the ground, her team is prepping for their annual job fair after a successful one last year.

Larkin: This year, we’ll see…times are hard. I think that, being the fact that we’ve advertised quite a bit, that will be very helpful.

Helmbrecht: As that snow begins to pile up on the mountain, so does the work.
Larkin says her team invested around 4,000 dollars to advertise seasonal jobs this year…more than it’s ever done.
But even still, there’s no way to know how many people will apply.

Larkin: All we can do is hope and pray.

Helmbrecht: These signs will be placed throughout Song Mountain lodge tomorrow during the Job Fair, as Song and Labrador look to hire over 300 seasonal employees, in roles like restaurant workers and lift attendants.

Mike Cabrey: And there’s only 20 of us here right now, so there’s a lot of people that we need to fill the seats kind of thing.

Helmbrecht: Mike Cabrey is part of a small year-round staff that works on the mountains and says his crew will step up if seasonal employees don’t.

Cabrey: A lot more running around for me. That just means that we work, the people that are here work longer hours, cuz we still have a job that we gotta get done. So we’ll be here to do it.

Helmbrecht: Ski C-N-Y hopes this job fair will provide the lift they need to go into the season.

TULLY, N.Y. (NCC News) – Ski season is right around the corner here in Central New York, which means ski mountains have a lot of jobs they need to fill. Sheila Larkin, the Operations Manager for SkiCNY, which oversees Labrador Mountain in Truxton and Song Mountain in Tully, doesn’t know what to expect with people coming back to work.

“We need people everywhere…this year, we’ll see, times are hard. I think that, being the fact that we’ve advertised quite a bit, that will be very helpful,” Larkin said.

 

A woman is on the phone working at a computer.
Sheila Larkin prepares for the annual SkiCNY job fair.
© 2021 Lauren Helmbrecht

SkiCNY is hosting its annual Job Fair on Wednesday, November 17th at 6 p.m. at the Song Mountain Lodge. Last year, Larkin said they had a strong turnout, even during COVID.

According to Bloomberg, before the ski season’s ever started, there are already at least one job for every American seeking one. And with ski season approaching, seasonal jobs also need to be filled. Larkin said they are hiring over 300 people in full-time, part-time, indoor, and outdoor roles.

As that snow begins to pile up on the mountain, so does the work. Larkin says her team invested around $4,000 to advertise seasonal jobs this year, more than it’s ever done. SkiCNY expanded its advertising to every Syracuse radio station and new local radio stations.

“Usually we stick to the Cortland Standard and the Homer/Cortland area…and I think it’s a sign of the times. People are trying to figure out jobs right now,” Larkin said.

SkiCNY has about 20 to 30 year-round workers, including Mark Cabrey who works outside operations. His team repairs ski lifts and makes snow, and knows first hand how many people need to be hired to get the mountain running. But Cabrey says his team will step up if seasonal employees don’t.

“A lot more running around for me. That just means that we work, the people that are here work longer hours, because we still have a job that we got to get done. So we’ll be here to do it,” Cabrey said.

Cabrey has been working during ski season since he was 14-years-old and still loves it, despite the weather.

“I just love it. I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to work. Obviously standing out in the freezing cold isn’t the highlight of the job. But if you’re a skier or snowboarder, you get a free pass. So, why not?” Cabrey said.

Applicants must apply in person at the SkiCNY Job Fair.  The application can be found here.

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