12th October 2018
Thousands of job seekers attended the first of Center Parcs’ recruitment information days in Longford today, officially opened by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, TD.
Senior management from Center Parcs were delighted to welcome a large number of potential employees to hear about the recruitment process for the much anticipated 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 hailing from all parts of the business and its five successful 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 on offer range from an accountant to a bus driver as well as, chefs, receptionists, beauty therapists, lifeguards, baristas, bike mechanics, water sports assistants and climbing instructors - to name just a few.
Opening the recruitment days, Minister Heather Humphreys, said: “It is fantastic to see the Midlands benefitting from the influx of an unprecedented 1,000 jobs. I have been struck today 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 in Longford and beyond 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 path.”
Commenting on the success of the Recruitment Open days, Daragh Feighery, General Manager of Center Parcs Longford Forest, said:
“The turn-out 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 caliber 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 www.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 legendary Subtropical Swimming Paradise, and a range of restaurants and shops. The development has created over 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.
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact:
Murray, Dublin
Tel: 00353 (0)1 498 0300 / 086 396 4368 (Avril), Email: acollins@murraygroup.ie / dwalsh@murraygroup.ie
Center Parcs Press Office
Tel: 0044 (0)1623 821733, Email: simon.kay@centerparcs.co.uk
Notes to editors
Fact Sheet on Center Parcs Longford Forest – Opening in 2019
1. Center Parcs is the leading provider of high quality family short breaks in the UK, offering weekend or midweek breaks in a secluded and natural woodland setting.
2. Center Parcs Longford Forest in Ireland is expected to open to guests in 2019.
3. The company currently operates five short break destinations across the UK*: Whinfell Forest, Cumbria; Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire; Elveden Forest, Suffolk; Woburn Forest, Bedfordshire and Longleat Forest, Wiltshire.
4. Center Parcs regularly achieves average annual occupancy rates in excess of 97% and welcomed two million guests last year.
5. Following an announcement in 2015 of its intention to develop a forest holiday Village in Ireland, Center Parcs successfully secured planning approval to invest €233m in the development of a forest holiday village on a 400-acre site in Newcastle Wood, five kilometres from Ballymahon in County Longford.
6. The development will create approximately 750 jobs during the construction phase.
7. When operational, the village will employ up to 1,000 people in permanent jobs, with the majority of employees likely to live locally.
8. Center Parcs Longford Forest will have capacity for up to 2,500 guests.
9. Center Parcs estimates that, when operational in 2019, the new holiday village will add approximately €32million to Irish GDP per annum and €1bn over the next 20 years.
10. The construction phase is likely to last up to two years and the village is expected to open in 2019.
11. Center Parcs awarded its first major contract in Ireland to Limerick based Roadbridge Civil Engineering & Building Contractors in March 2017 to undertake key infrastructural development works. The infrastructure contract comprised the earthworks, road and path networks, utilities, drainage system, the lake and building platforms.
12. In December 2017, Dublin based construction firm John Sisk & Son was awarded the contracts for the construction of the lodges and apartments as well as the state-of-the-art centre buildings – housing the iconic Center Parcs Subtropical Swimming Paradise, restaurants, bars and shops and moved on site in January 2018.
13. Center Parcs Longford Forest will bring together the high quality features for which Center Parcs is renowned, including:
• 466 Lodges and 30 apartments, designed with families and the environment in mind
• more than 100 indoor and outdoor activities
• a spa
• a range of restaurants, cafés and shops
• the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, with water rides and fun for all ages.
14. Over the last 30 years, Center Parcs has exhibited a proven track record of taking commercial woodlands and, through careful forest management, transforming them into areas rich in biodiversity. Center Parcs Longford Forest will have a dedicated team of Conservation Rangers who will protect and nurture this beautiful woodland.
*Please be advised that while Center Parcs UK and Ireland and Center Parcs Europe, share the same name and logo, they are two separate companies.
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